FTC Must Probe Web Data Sales to Defense Project, Senator Says

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether a digital security company misled consumers by reportedly selling Americans’ web browsing data to a Department of Defense-funded research project.

Neustar Security Services may have breached privacy promises in violation of US consumer protection law, Wyden wrote in a Thursday letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan.

The senator’s request for a probe reflects his ongoing concern that government agencies are bypassing legal requirements for search warrants by purchasing data that the private sector has collected on Americans’ online habits.

The digital records at issue relate to the ...