Twitter Uses People's Communication Information Through Ads. He is now fined $ 150 Million.

 Twitter Uses People's Communication Information Through Ads. He is now fined $ 150 Million.

Twitter Fined

The Federal Trade Commission claims that Twitter has "fraudulently" used security email addresses and phone numbers for targeted advertising. Written by Kaveh Waddell To keep accounts secure, Twitter asks users for an email address or phone number, which they use to verify personal identity and to help them log into their account when they are locked out. But for more than six years, Twitter has also allowed advertisers to use email addresses and phone numbers to advertise their targets, according to the Federal Trade Commission. That is in violation of Twitter 's commitment in 2011 not to misrepresent how it handles the privacy and security of non-public user data, the FTC said. Twitter is now paying $ 150 million to resolve FTC allegations, and the company has been banned from making a profit on data claims agency has fraudulently collected. More than 140 million Twitter users provided their contact details on request, confirming Twitter's "fraudulent statements" that the information would only be used to protect their account, according to a federal government (PDF) official complaint. The FTC investigation that led to this resolution was first reported in 2020. Reusing advertising protection information is very dangerous because it can make people less likely to use multifactor authentication, which is an important way to keep your accounts safe from attackers. "Doing so may prevent people from providing information for legal security purposes," said Justin Brookman, CR's director of consumer privacy and technology policy. Twitter has stated in its privacy policy that it will also use personal contact information for advertising. However, the FTC says, it was not enough for the company to include that statement in a long, almost unreadable text. Sadly, the company did not disclose its marketing plans to users when it actually asked for their contact details — then, Twitter said only details about security. The story continues "To say that data is collected for one purpose and used for another purpose is misleading," FTC chairwoman Lina Khan said in a statement (PDF) on Wednesday."Hiding material provided in long-term privacy policies or terms of service" does not, according to Khan, "cure deceptive representations made by a corporation while collecting user information." As part of Wednesday's deal, Twitter agrees to tell people affected by the incident. You also need to create a new privacy policy for existing products and make privacy updates when introducing a new product or fixing an old one. "Our agreement with the FTC demonstrates Twitter's commitment to investing in security and privacy," wrote Damien Kieran, Twitter's chief privacy officer, in a tweet on Wednesday. "We'll keep working with our regulators to make sure they understand how Twitter's security and privacy procedures are always growing and improving," says the company. The FTC's complaint against Twitter is awaiting the signing of a federal judge to take effect. If you do not want to use a phone number or email to get two-factor authentication, you can use a verification app — that is what Consumer Reports recommends, because written security codes may be less secure. You can also opt out of certain types of personalized advertising on Twitter with forum privacy tools. In your Twitter settings, go for "Personalization and data." More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tire for 2016The best used cars for $ 25,000 and the best mattress for less than 7 couples. Consumer Reports is an independent, non-profit organization that works with clients to create a just, secure, and healthy world. CR does not recommend products or services, nor does it accept advertising