On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that seven rent-to-own (RTO) companies including the franchisees of Aaron’s, ColorTyme, and Premier Rental Purchase, and DesignerWare, a software company that licensed software to rent-to-own stores, have agreed to settle FTC complaints that they spied on consumers.

According to the FTC, the RTO stores used software for “capturing screenshots of 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.” In addition, the pictures included people in various states of undress as well as engaged in intimate activities. [read more..]