On January 2, the FTC settled with a personal electronics manufacturer regarding allegations that the manufacturer preloaded advertising software onto its laptops that interfered with a user's internet browser and seriously compromised the browser's security. The settlement prohibits the manufacturer from misrepresenting any features of software preloaded onto its laptops and requires the manufacturer to implement a comprehensive software security program for most consumer software preloaded onto its laptops for the next 20 years.

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