As we enter into the second quarter of the year, the FTC has released its annual report on privacy and data security, and the steps it took in those areas over the course of 2018. The report includes summaries of its actions against companies for alleged violations of the FTC Act,  CAN-SPAM, and COPPA, among others. The total cases brought by the FTC in the privacy area by the end of 2018 numbered 75 (with an additional 130 spam and spyware cases), and 65 in the data security and identity theft realm.

In its release summarizing the report, the FTC highlighted some of its key cases, and also its work in issuing reports on privacy and data security and holding events on these topics. Reports included security updates by mobile phone manufacturers, and hearings on big data, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics.

Putting it Into Practice: This report demonstrates the FTC’s active role in enforcing privacy and data security, something that it is continuing in 2019.