14 DAY TRIAL // Aaron’s, Inc., a rent-to-own chain based in Atlanta, has settled the charges brought against it by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC had accused the company of installing and using spying software on the rented computers.
The software installed by Aaron’s franchises tracked locations, captured images via the webcam, and stole credentials for online accounts.
The FTC alleged that the company knew about the PC Rental Agent software’s privacy-invasive features. However, it still allowed its franchises to use it and even provided them with instructions on how to do so.
US authorities targeted the software’s developer and the rent-to-own stores that used it because of a feature called Detective Mode. When used in this mode, the application allows customers not only to capture screenshots and keystrokes, but it also presents deceptive registration forms that instruct users to hand over personal information.
“Consumers have a right to rent computers free of cyberspying and to know when and how they are being tracked by a company,” noted Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “By enabling their franchisees to use this invasive software, Aaron’s facilitated a violation of many consumers’ privacy.”
As part of the settlement with the FTC, Aaron’s has been banned from using monitoring software, except when it provides technical support specifically requested by customers. The company is also prohibited from using any information collected from customers through improper methods. In addition, the information collected so far must be deleted.
Finally, Aaron’s must conduct monitoring of its franchises’ activities each year and terminate contracts with those that don’t meet the requirements imposed by the FTC.
The complaint and the consent agreement are both available on the FTC’s website.