| Volume 63 Number 9 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Do you use a pre-paid debit card? Millions of people do, many to avoid the high fees banks charge for credit and debit cards. But most have no idea what fees are charged, or their liability if a pre-paid debit card is lost or stolen. Before you purchase a pre-paid debit card, read all the fine print carefully. Buying the wrong card could cost you a lot of money. Click here for more.
What the Internet Know About You
What does the internet know about you? Probably a lot more than you think. Search for a word like "depression" on Dictionary.com and the site installs up to 223 tracking cookies on your computer, allowing other sites to target you with "depression"-related links. The next ad you see will probably be for an antidepressant. Why? When you get a "free" service, it isn't really free. In return for using the service, you're giving away your privacy and personal information. For example, Netflix uses your movie history to determine which movies you will like and which ones you won't. More often than not, they're dead on. Yahoo, Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon are no different. They watch everything you're doing online and use your history to target your wallet. If you use GMail, you've probably noticed something like this as well. If you receive an email from your doctor about antibiotics, links will appear to the right of your email focusing on bacterial infections and pharmacies. When you click on the link, the host site makes money, and you get to use their site fore "free." Do you like the personalization? Or, are you more worried about your privacy? Click here for more.
Mobile Location Privacy Bill
On Wednesday, two United States senators proposed a law that would require companies to obtain consent from consumers before sharing mobile location data with third parties. The Location Privacy Protection Act of 2011 would require companies to tell consumers before they collect and share location data. A loophole in the existing Electronic Communications Privacy Act allows companies that offer mobile internet to disclose consumers’ location information to third parties. Companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft collect location data to locate their consumers. If the bill becomes law, the companies will have to obtain "express consent" from mobile consumers before collecting and sharing the data. Click here for more.
Recall: 2011 Chrysler, Jeep, & Dodge
Chrysler is recalling over 11,000 Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles after finding the vehicles were built without a proper steering column pivot rivet. The defective steering column may be unable to support the weight of occupants in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of passenger injury. Do you own a 2011 Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge? Is your model included in the latest recall? Click here for more.
Your Money
How much do fees affect your fund's rate of return? Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
State does not need to pass law to allow enforcement of TCPA. The Illinois Supreme Court held that a state court lawsuit over unsolicited faxes can go forward under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act even though the state legislature hadn’t passed enabling legislation. The court noted that the TCPA’s language “merely acknowledges that states have the right to structure their own court system; that neutral state laws and court rules concerning state court jurisdiction and procedure apply to TCPA claims; and that state courts are not obligated to change their procedural rules to accommodate TCPA claims.” Click here for more.