Who is watching the watchers?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Principles, Advanced Accounting, All Articles, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Ethical Dilemma, Financial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, International Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Uncategorized.

According to the FTC, Vizio used 11 million televisions to spy on its customers. The television maker agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle a case with the FTC and the New Jersey attorney general’s office after the agencies accused it of secretly collecting — and selling — data about its customers’ locations, demographics and viewing habits.

Questions:

1. What is the sensitive information and how does it violate privacy laws?
2. How can regulators be sure that Vizio did not pair the information?
3. What was the settlement? Why do you think they settled?
4. How much of the market does Vizio have and how does that translate into number of sets and people?

Source:
Tsukayama, H. (2017). These smart TVs were apparently spying on their owners. Feb. 6 (Retrievable online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/02/06/these-smart-tvs-were-apparently-spying-on-their-owners/?utm_term=.87fa6d2202fe)