United States of America: Federal Trade Commission issued settlement order in investigation into GoDaddy for alleged misrepresentations of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in web-hosting services

On 15 January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed settlement order following its investigation of GoDaddy, a web hosting provider, for alleged failures to secure its website hosting services against cyberattacks. The FTC found that this led to multiple security breaches between 2019 and 2022. Its complaint states that GoDaddy misled customers about its security practices and compliance with privacy frameworks. The order prohibits GoDaddy from making false claims about its security measures and mandates the establishment of a robust security program, including third-party assessments. The FTC voted unanimously to issue the administrative complaint and accept the proposed consent agreement.