If you use a rent-to-own computer pay attention!  The FTC has halted computer spying on rented computers.  The FTC stated that rent-to-own companies secretly installed software on to computers to track the location of rented computers.  Unfortunately, they failed to inform the computer renters.  This secretly installed software allowed the rental company to spy on the computer renters, capturing screenshots of their confidential and personal information, logging their computer keystrokes and in some cases taking webcam pictures of people in their homes. All without notice to, or consent from the consumers.  Some of the information captured by this secretly installed software included user names and passwords for email accounts, social media websites and financial institutions, Social Security Numbers, medical records, webcam pictures of children, partially undressed individuals and intimate activities at home.

DesignerWare, LLC is one of the companies identified by the FTC  that licensed the software to rent-to-own stores to help them track and recover rented computers.  A few of DesignerWare, LLC’s clients include franchises of Aaron’s, ColorTyme, and Premier Rental Purchase.

The proposed settlement orders will ban the software company and rent-to-own companies from using monitoring type software created by DesignerWare.  Seven of the rent-to-own companies were charged with breaking the law by secretly collecting consumer information and then trying to use it to collect money from them.

For additional information visit http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/09/designware.shtm