Reprinted with permission from FindLaw.com
Borders has long collected personal information from customers
and promised that such information would not be disclosed without
consent. In light of that and Borders' current bankruptcy
proceedings, the FTC has sent a letter to the consumer privacy
ombudsman overseeing the Borders bankruptcy that seeks the
protection of customer personal information.
The FTC's letter appears prompted by its understanding that
customer personal information held by Borders is scheduled to be
auctioned and thereafter there will be a sale hearing.
The FTC points out that in its business, Borders sold books,
DVDs, CDs and other items in stores and online. As part of this
process, Borders collected vast quantities of personal information,
such as credit card numbers, email addresses and purchase
histories, for more than 20 million customers.
