WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated payments totaling over $370,000 to consumers adversely affected by the data security lapses of CafePress, an online merchandise platform. This action follows a March 2022 settlement addressing FTC allegations that CafePress neglected to maintain adequate security measures, leading to repeated breaches of sensitive user data.
The FTC’s investigation revealed that CafePress stored Social Security numbers and password reset answers in an unencrypted format, retaining this data far beyond necessity. These inadequate practices resulted in multiple breaches, compromising consumers’ sensitive information, including Social Security numbers. Compounding the issue, CafePress failed to promptly disclose these breaches to affected users, leaving consumers vulnerable to potential misuse of their personal data.
Payments are being disbursed to 20,044 consumers who submitted valid claims prior to the specified deadline. Eligible recipients will receive either checks or PayPal payments, which must be redeemed within the given timeframe—90 days for checks and 30 days for PayPal transactions.
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