Companies agree to settle computer spying charges

Published



WASHINGTON (AP) — A software program developed to track the locations of rented computers secretly collected confidential and personal information about consumers, including medical records, bank statements and even web cam pictures of couples engaged in sex, the Federal Trade Commission said in a settlement that bars eight companies from any further cyber spying.

The case involved seven rental companies and a firm called DesignerWare LLC of North East, Pa., which licensed its PC Rental Agent software to stores so they could shut off and recover computers that hadn’t been returned in time or had been stolen.

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