Online Gamer Vulcun Settles With FTC Over Installing Apps Without User OK

Online game company Vulcun agreed to settle FTC allegations that it "unfairly" replaced a Google Chrome browser extension game, which the company bought, on consumers' Android devices with its own extension without getting people's permission and risking their privacy, the commission said in a news release Friday. Commissioners voted 4-0 to issue an administrative complaint and accept the consent agreement, which will be published in the Federal Register soon and be open to public comment through March 8, FTC said. After Vulcun bought the Running Fred extension used by more than 200,000 consumers, the company "used it to install a different app, commandeer people's computers, and bombard them with ads," said Consumer Protection Bureau Director Jessica Rich. Consumers complained to Google that the extension opened multiple tabs and windows advertising various apps or that apps were installed on their mobile device without their permission, reinstalling themselves even after being deleted, the FTC said. Vulcun risked people's privacy because apps installed on devices could have "easily accessed" their address books, photos, location and device identifiers or even more sensitive data, the commission alleged. Plus, Vulcun misled consumers by telling them their extensions "provided independent and impartial selections of apps, as well as misrepresenting third-party endorsements received by the extensions," FTC alleged. The settlement requires Vulcun to inform consumers about all types of information that its products or services access and how that data would be used, show any built-in permissions notice when a product or service is installed, and get people's "express affirmative consent." Vulcun didn't immediately comment.