FTC Sued Over Refusal to Disclose Data Security Policies

By Jenna Greene, Legal Times, May 14, 2015

The Federal Trade Commission this week was sued for refusing to turn over information about how the agency decides to bring data security cases.

The Freedom of Information Act suit by Philip Reitinger, a former Department of Homeland Security official who is now president of a cybersecurity company, comes as the FTC defends its role as data security cop in two ongoing cases.

“The FTC’s data security activity has increased in recent years and is likely to continue to do so,” wrote Reitinger’s lawyers, Steptoe & Johnson LLP partners Michael Baratz and Stewart Baker, in the complaint. “In light of this increased activity, it is important for the public, including entities subject to the FTC’s data and cybersecurity enforcement, to understand the FTC’s expectations for data security practices and the reasoning for its actions.”

Read more here.