There is one summary for S.81. Bill summaries are authored by CRS. Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2017
This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, telemarketing, and recorded message telephone call (robocall) fraud targeting seniors.
The office must: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC’s national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC’s enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors.
The FTC must establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The Federal Trade Commission has approved TRUSTe’s proposed modifications to its safe harbor program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.
The FTC’s COPPA Rule requires, among other things, that operators of commercial websites and online services directed to children under the age of 13, or general audience websites and online services that knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, must post comprehensive privacy policies on their sites, notify parents about their information practices, and obtain parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing any personal information from children under the age of 13.
The FTC’s COPPA Rule includes a “safe harbor” provision that allows industry groups and others to seek Commission approval of self-regulatory guidelines that implement “the same or greater protections for children” as those contained in the COPPA Rule. Companies and organizations that participate in an FTC-approved safe harbor program will, in most circumstances, be subject to the review and disciplinary procedures provided in the safe harbor’s guidelines in lieu of formal FTC investigation and law enforcement.
In a Federal Register notice, the FTC sought comment on proposed changes to TRUSTe’s existing safe harbor program, including the addition of a new requirement that participants conduct an annual internal assessment of third-parties’ collection of personal information from children on their websites or online services. The Commission received six comments on the notice.
The Commission voted 2-0 to approve the modifications to TRUSTe’s safe harbor program.
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