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An official website of the United States government

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any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.


TRANSLATION MENU

 * Español


SECONDARY MENU

 * Report Fraud
 * Sign Up for Consumer Alerts
 * Search the Legal Library


Menu


MAIN MENU MEGA

 * Show/hide Enforcement menu items
   
   
   ENFORCEMENT
   
   We enforce federal competition and consumer protection laws that prevent
   anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices.
   
   View Enforcement
   
   
   SEARCH OR BROWSE
   THE LEGAL LIBRARY
   
   Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business
   responsibilities and comply with the law.
   
   Browse legal resources
   
   Search small Search
   
   
   SECTIONS
   
    * Premerger Notification Program
    * Merger Review
    * Anticompetitive Practices
    * Rulemaking
    * Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents
    * Consumer Sentinel Network
    * Criminal Liaison Unit
    * Recent FTC Cases Resulting in Refunds
    * Notices of Penalty Offenses
   
   
   TAKE ACTION
   
    * Report an antitrust violation
    * File adjudicative documents
    * Find banned debt collectors
    * View competition guidance
   
   
   COMPETITION MATTERS BLOG
   
   Competition Matters
   
   
   HSR THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENTS AND REPORTABILITY FOR 2022
   
   the Premerger Notification Office Staff
   February 11, 2022
   
   View all Competition Matters Blog posts

 * Show/hide Policy menu items
   
   
   POLICY
   
   We work to advance government policies that protect consumers and promote
   competition.
   
   View Policy
   
   
   SEARCH OR BROWSE
   THE LEGAL LIBRARY
   
   Find legal resources and guidance to understand your business
   responsibilities and comply with the law.
   
   Browse legal resources
   
   Search small Search
   
   
   SECTIONS
   
    * Advocacy and Research
    * Reports
    * Public Comments
    * Studies
    * International
   
   
   TAKE ACTION
   
    * Find policy statements
    * Submit a public comment
   
   
   FEATURE
   
   
   VISION AND PRIORITIES
   
   Memo from Chair Lina M. Khan to commission staff and commissioners regarding
   the vision and priorities for the FTC.
   
   Learn more
   
   
   TECH@FTC BLOG
   
   Tech@FTC
   
   
   SECURITY PRINCIPLES: ADDRESSING UNDERLYING CAUSES OF RISK IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS
   
   Alex Gaynor, Deputy Chief Technology Officer
   February 1, 2023
   
   View all Tech@FTC Blog posts

 * Show/hide Advice and Guidance menu items
   
   
   ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
   
   Learn more about your rights as a consumer and how to spot and avoid scams.
   Find the resources you need to understand how consumer protection law impacts
   your business.
   
   
   TAKE ACTION
   
    * Report fraud
    * Report identity theft
    * Register for Do Not Call
    * Sign up for consumer alerts
    * Get Business Blog updates
    * Get your free credit report
    * Find refund cases
    * Order bulk publications
   
   
   CONSUMER ADVICE
   
    * Shopping and Donating
    * Credit, Loans, and Debt
    * Jobs and Making Money
    * Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts
    * Identity Theft and Online Security
    * Scams
   
   
   BUSINESS GUIDANCE
   
    * Advertising and Marketing
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    * By Industry
    * For Small Businesses
    * Browse Business Guidance Resources
    * Business Blog
   
   
   SERVICEMEMBERS:
   YOUR TOOL FOR FINANCIAL READINESS
   
   Visit militaryconsumer.gov
   
   
   GET CONSUMER PROTECTION BASICS, PLAIN AND SIMPLE
   
   Visit consumer.gov
   
   
   LEARN HOW THE FTC PROTECTS FREE ENTERPRISE AND CONSUMERS
   
   Visit Competition Counts
   
   
   LOOKING FOR COMPETITION GUIDANCE?
   
   Competition Guidance

 * Show/hide News and Events menu items
   
   
   NEWS AND EVENTS
   
   
   LATEST NEWS
   
   Press Release
   
   
   FTC TO HOST FORUM ON FEBRUARY 16 EXAMINING ITS PROPOSED RULE TO BAN
   NONCOMPETE RESTRICTIONS
   
   February 15, 2023
   
   View News and Events
   
   
   UPCOMING EVENT
   
   Feb16
   
   
   FTC FORUM EXAMINING PROPOSED RULE TO BAN NONCOMPETE CLAUSES
   
   Thursday, February 16, 2023 | 12:00PM - 3:00PM
   
   View more Events
   
   
   SECTIONS
   
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    * Stay Connected
   
   Sign up for the latest news
   
   
   FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
   
            
   
   
   FEATURE
   
   
   CORONAVIRUS SCAMS
   
   Spot the latest COVID scams, get compliance guidance, and stay up to date on
   FTC actions during the pandemic.
   
   
   LATEST DATA VISUALIZATION
   
   
   DAILY COVID-19 COMPLAINT DATA(LINK IS EXTERNAL)
   
   Use our visualizations to explore scam and fraud trends in your state based
   on reports from consumers like you. 

 * Show/hide About the FTC menu items
   
   
   ABOUT THE FTC
   
   Our mission is protecting consumers and competition by preventing
   anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices through law
   enforcement, advocacy, and education without unduly burdening legitimate
   business activity.
   
   Learn more about the FTC
   
   
   SECTIONS
   
    * Mission
    * History
    * Commissioners and Staff
    * Bureaus and Offices
    * Budget and Strategy
    * Office of Inspector General
    * Careers at the FTC
    * Contact
   
   
   FEATURED
   
   
   MEET THE CHAIR
   
   Lina M. Khan was sworn in as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission on June
   15, 2021.
   
   Chair Lina M. Khan

 * Search Show/hide Search menu items
   
   Enter Search Term(s):  
   
   Looking for legal documents or records? Search the Legal Library instead.


TRANSLATION MENU

 * Español


SECONDARY MENU

 * Report Fraud
 * Sign Up for Consumer Alerts
 * Search the Legal Library

 * Enforcement Show/hide Enforcement menu items
   * Premerger Notification Program
   * Merger Review
   * Anticompetitive Practices
   * Rulemaking
   * Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents
   * Consumer Sentinel Network
   * Criminal Liaison Unit
   * Recent FTC Cases Resulting in Refunds
   * Notices of Penalty Offenses
 * Policy Show/hide Policy menu items
   * Advocacy and Research
   * Reports
   * Public Comments
   * Studies
   * International
 * Advice and Guidance Show/hide Advice and Guidance menu items
   * Consumer Advice
   * Military Consumer
   * Consumer.gov
   * Business Guidance
   * Competition Guidance
   * Bulk Publications
 * News and Events Show/hide News and Events menu items
   * News
   * Events
   * Features
   * Topics
   * Data and Visualizations
   * Stay Connected
 * About the FTC Show/hide About the FTC menu items
   * Mission
   * History
   * Commissioners and Staff
   * Bureaus and Offices
   * Budget and Strategy
   * Office of Inspector General
   * Careers at the FTC
   * Contact


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Looking for legal documents or records? Search the Legal Library instead.


BREADCRUMB

 1. Home
 2. News and Events
 3. News
 4. Press Releases

For Your Information


FTC ACCEPTS FINAL SETTLEMENT WITH TWITTER FOR FAILURE TO SAFEGUARD PERSONAL
INFORMATION

March 11, 2011
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The Federal Trade Commission has finalized a proposed settlement that it
announced in June 2010 with social networking site Twitter, which resolved
charges that Twitter deceived consumers and put their privacy at risk by failing
to safeguard their personal information. The FTC alleged that serious lapses in
the company’s data security allowed hackers to obtain unauthorized
administrative control of Twitter, including both access to non-public user
information and tweets that consumers had designated as private, and the ability
to send out phony tweets from any account.

The privacy policy posted on Twitter’s website stated that “Twitter is very
concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your personally identifiable
information. We employ administrative, physical, and electronic measures
designed to protect your information from unauthorized access.” In addition,
Twitter offered its users privacy settings that enabled them to designate their
tweets as private.

The FTC’s complaint alleged that between January and May of 2009, hackers were
able to gain administrative control of Twitter on two occasions.

Under the terms of the settlement, Twitter will be barred for 20 years from
misleading consumers about the extent to which it protects the security,
privacy, and confidentiality of nonpublic consumer information, including the
measures it takes to prevent unauthorized access to nonpublic information and
honor the privacy choices made by consumers. The company also must establish and
maintain a comprehensive information security program, which will be assessed by
an independent auditor every other year for 10 years.

The Commission vote to accept the settlement as final was 5-0.

NOTE: A consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not
constitute an admission by the respondent that the law has been violated. When
the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of
law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result
in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.


The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent,
deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help
spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the
FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The
FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database
available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the
U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of
consumer topics. “Like” the FTC on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter.



CONTACT INFORMATION

MEDIA CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2180

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Menu


SECONDARY MENU

 * Report Fraud
 * Sign Up for Consumer Alerts
 * Search the Legal Library


MAIN NAVIGATION

 * Enforcement
   * Premerger Notification Program
   * Merger Review
   * Anticompetitive Practices
   * Rulemaking
   * Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents
   * Consumer Sentinel Network
   * Criminal Liaison Unit
   * Recent FTC Cases Resulting in Refunds
   * Notices of Penalty Offenses
 * Policy
   * Advocacy and Research
   * Reports
   * Public Comments
   * Studies
   * International
 * Advice and Guidance
   * Consumer Advice
   * Military Consumer
   * Consumer.gov
   * Business Guidance
   * Competition Guidance
   * Bulk Publications
 * News and Events
   * News
   * Events
   * Features
   * Topics
   * Data and Visualizations
   * Stay Connected
 * About the FTC
   * Mission
   * History
   * Commissioners and Staff
   * Bureaus and Offices
   * Budget and Strategy
   * Office of Inspector General
   * Careers at the FTC
   * Contact


FOOTER

 * Privacy Policy
 * Policy and Notices
 * FOIA
 * No FEAR Act
 * Office of Inspector General
 * USA.gov

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