Business Briefs – September 14, 2017

Federal Trade Commission Investigating Equifax Breach

NEW YORK (AP) – The Federal Trade Commission has become the latest entity to announce an investigation into the security breach at Equifax. The FTC said Thursday that it was opening an investigation into how Equifax got hacked and 143 million Americans’ personal information was either accessed or stolen. Typically the FTC does not disclose who it is investigating, but the agency said the high amount of attention in this case made it necessary.

Industry Panel Recommends Roll Back of Aviation Safety Rules

WASHINGTON (AP) – An influential industry committee is recommending that the Federal Aviation Administration eliminate or scale back dozens of safety rules, including one on airline pilot qualifications. The FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee says the recommendations are a response to an effort by the agency to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives to cut government regulations.

Confusion Hits Consumer Market Over U.S. Ban of Kaspersky

NEW YORK (AP) – Best Buy says it will no longer sell antivirus software by Kaspersky Labs, a Russian company that the U.S. says may have ties to foreign intelligence services. Kaspersky software is widely used by consumers in both paid and free versions. Security experts differ on whether consumers should follow the lead of the U.S. government, which just banned the federal use of Kaspersky products.

South Dakota Court Rejects Law Aimed at Online Sales Taxes

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota’s Supreme Court has struck down a law that would require out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes on in-state purchases. The state expected and welcomed Wednesday’s defeat in a case that eventually could have national implications for e-commerce. Attorney General Marty Jackley hopes to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider rulings it has issued that exempt retailers from having to collect sales taxes in states where they have no physical presence.

Google Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Gender Pay

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) – Google faces a new lawsuit accusing it of gender-based pay discrimination. A lawyer representing three women who formerly worked at Google is seeking class action status for the suit. It follows a federal labor investigation that made preliminary findings of systemic pay discrimination among the 21,000 employees at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. The initial stages of the review found women earned less than men in nearly every job classification.