Startup Talk: Little Rock tech firm files most FTC call complaints in 2015

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news.

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LITTLE ROCK TECH FIRM FILES MOST FTC CALL COMPLAINTS IN 2015
Little Rock-based First Orion announced Tuesday (April 5) that users of its PrivacyStar app filed 31% of all call complaints in 2015, according to the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network Report. First Orion offers phone carriers, service providers and consumers a one-stop service that identifies and blocks unwanted calls and lets users report complaints to the FTC directly from their mobile app when the calls occur. To view the FTC’s annual report of consumer complaints for past year, click here.

According to the FTC report, debt collection was the number one complaint category with 29% of overall complaints, followed by identity theft (16%), impostor scams (11%), telephone and mobile services (9%), and prizes, sweepstakes and lotteries (5%). Over 1.2 million complaints were fraud-related and consumers reported paying out over $765 million with the median amount paid being $400.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE SEEKS COMMENTS RELATED TO INTERNET OF THINGS
As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Digital Economy Agenda, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently issued a Request for Comment on questions posed by the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). The request is an important step in the Commerce Department’s continued effort to promote IoT, the broad category of devices, appliances, and objects that can be connected via the Internet.

The federal agency said it will use the input it receives to build on its broader agenda promoting economic growth and opportunity to help develop an approach that will foster IoT innovation. After it receives the comments, the DOC will draft a “green paper” identifying key issues affecting deployment of these technologies, highlighting potential benefits and challenges, and outlining possible roles for the federal government in fostering the advancement of IoT technologies in partnership with the private sector.

TOP DRONE MANUFACTURERS FORM LOBBYING GROUP
Leading global drone manufacturers 3DR, DJI, GoPro and Parrot recently formed the Drone Manufacturers Alliance, a coalition that will serve as the voice for drone manufacturers and customers across civilian, governmental, recreational, commercial, nonprofit and public safety applications.

Organizers said there are significant economic and social benefits to drone operations in the U.S., and industry must work with policymakers to ensure a safe environment for flying. The new alliance will advocate for policies that promote innovation and safety, and create a practical and responsible regulatory framework that “requires input from all stakeholders and must recognize the value and necessity of continued technological innovation,” the group said.