Government
FTC asks court to stop pretexting
Pretexting is a violation of federal law, FTC says, asking court to stop two FL companies from selling records.
Action Research Group, one of the investigative companies hired by HP, and Eye in the Sky Investigations, which subcontracted to Action, have been singled out by the FTC, which has requested a federal court to order the companies to stop "pretexting," InfoWorld reports.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Orlando, the FTC claims that the practice of pretexting violates the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1996. "Selling the records constitutes an invasion of privacy that could endanger the health and safety of consumers," the FTC said in a statement released Thursday. It is also a violation of federal law, the statement says.
HP meanwhile welcomed the motion.
"HP is opposed to pretexting and has expressly called for the practice to be made illegal," said HP's Ryan Donovan. "We support the FTC's efforts to permanently halt telephone record pretexting."All five FTC commissioners voted to authorize the complaint.