Privacy Policy Violations Are an Unlawful Trade Practice

Protecting the rights and security of clients in and around Washington, D.C.

In this country, consumers have certain protections afford them by state and federal laws, which ensure that our personal information is not accessed or disseminated without your permission. This promise is part of most companies’ privacy policies. When a company violates its privacy policy, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can cite them for an unlawful trade practice, and the individual states or federal government may levy fines against them.

As a consumer whose privacy has been violated, you may also take action against the company in the form of a lawsuit. At Paulson & Nace, PLLC, we help our clients in the greater Washington, D.C. region take back control over their lives and their futures by holding companies accountable when they violate your privacy. When you need aggressive and innovative strategies on your side, our consumer privacy team is prepared and ready to fight for you.

The five core principles of privacy protection

Because different states have different laws regarding privacy and consumer protection, the FTC has outlined 5 core principles, called “fair information practice codes,” that all privacy policies should follow:

• Notice/Awareness. All consumers must be notified that an entity plans on collecting data from those consumers, and that the entity has policies in place regarding how that data will be used. It varies from state to state, however, as to how much notice an entity must give.
• Choice/Consent. Consumer must be allowed to opt-in or opt-out of a company’s plans to use/disseminate their data. In other words, “choice means giving consumers options as to how any personal information collected from them may be used.”
• Access/Participation. Consumers must be allowed to see how their data is being used, and they must be allowed to contest any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Integrity/Security. All entities must take the proper steps to ensure that consumers’ personal data is safe and secure.
• Enforcement/Redress. These steps mean nothing if they are not enforced, or if there is no policy in place for correcting errors and holding entities responsible for those errors.

This is a very generalized view of the steps; they entail far more details and are far more complex than this summary. At Paulson & Nace, we are intimately familiar with the nuances of Washington, D.C. and federal laws regarding privacy policy violations as well as the laws and regulations governing surrounding states. Every consumer protection attorney at our firm has the skills to tackle complex negotiations, representative actions and litigation proceedings, and our firm has the resources to fight against unlawful trade practices like these for as long as it is necessary to do so.

Learn more about privacy policy violations

Paulson & Nace, PLLC, offers comprehensive representation for victims of unlawful trade practices in and around Washington, D.C. When entities violate their privacy policies for their own gain, we are there to protect your rights. To schedule a consultation, please call 202-463-1999 or fill out our contact form.