Question 170 - CIPP-US discussion

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the primary federal agency that enforces consumer privacy and data security laws in the United States. The FTC has the authority to bring enforcement actions against businesses that engage in unfair or deceptive acts or practices that affect commerce, under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Unfair acts or practices are those that cause or are likely to cause substantial injury to consumers that is not reasonably avoidable by consumers and is not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers or competition. Deceptive acts or practices are those that involve a material representation, omission, or practice that is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances.

The FTC's action against B.J.'s Wholesale Club in 2005 was unique because it was based on matters of fairness rather than deception. The FTC alleged that B.J.'s Wholesale Club, a retailer that operates warehouse stores and gas stations, failed to provide reasonable security for the sensitive information of its customers, such as name, card number, and expiration date, that it collected from the magnetic stripes of credit and debit cards. The FTC claimed that this information was used by unauthorized persons to make millions of dollars of fraudulent purchases. The FTC did not allege that B.J.'s Wholesale Club made any false or misleading statements or omissions about its data security practices, but rather that its failure to take appropriate security measures was an unfair practice that violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. The FTC argued that B.J.'s Wholesale Club's lax security caused or was likely to cause substantial injury to consumers that was not reasonably avoidable by consumers and was not outweighed by any benefits to consumers or competition.

The FTC's action against B.J.'s Wholesale Club was one of the first cases in which the FTC used its unfairness authority to address data security issues, and it set a precedent for future enforcement actions against businesses that fail to protect consumer data. The settlement required B.J.'s Wholesale Club to implement a comprehensive information security program and obtain audits by an independent third-party security professional every other year for 20 years.Reference:

FTC Complaint, Paragraphs 1-23

FTC Agreement Containing Consent Order, Paragraphs 1-9

FTC Analysis of Proposed Consent Order to Aid Public Comment, Pages 1-3

[IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide], Pages 69-70