Two US Lawmakers Urge Immediate Action Curtailing Deceptive Data Practices in VPN Industry

Two members of the U.S. Congress urged America's Federal Trade Commission "to address deceptive practices in the Virtual Private Network industry," reports the Verge:With abortion becoming illegal or restricted in several states, more people are looking to conceal their messages and search history, as police can use this information to prosecute someone seeking the procedure. In their letter, Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden ask the FTC to clamp down on VPN providers that engage in deceptive advertising, or make false assertions about the range of their service's privacy. The lawmakers cite research from Consumer Reports that indicate 75 percent of the most popular VPNs "misrepresented their products" or made misleading claims that could give "abortion-seekers a false sense of security." Eshoo and Wyden also call attention to reports accusing various VPN services of misusing user data, as well as "a lack of practical tools or independent research to audit VPN providers' security claims...." "We urge the Federal Trade Commission to take immediate action... to curtail abusive and deceptive data practices in companies providing VPN services to protect internet users seeking abortions." Eshoo and Wyden also ask that the FTC develop a brochure that informs anyone seeking an abortion about online privacy, as well as outlines the risks and benefits of using a VPN.

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