PayPal Reaches Settlement With Texas Over Venmo Privacy And Security Disclosures

Venmo is a peer-to-peer mobile payments service that PayPal acquired in 2013. Users can transfer money to another person using a mobile or web application (e.g., send money to a friend to split the cost of dinner). On May 20, 2016, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Texas had entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance agreement with PayPal to resolve its investigation of Venmo regarding potential violations of Texas' Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act. The resolution involved a $175,000 payment by PayPal and a commitment to implement certain business practices. There was no admission of wrongdoing and no allegations of actual harm to any individual.