FTC Leaks Email Addresses of Privacy Conference Participants

The day before a forum on digital privacy, the Federal Trade Commission, on a mass email sent to every registrant, carbon copied the addresses of everyone in plain sight.

The message advised participants to show up early to get a seat.

“A classic email blunder -- using the "cc" function instead of the "bcc" function -- in any normal situation, this particular mistake smacked of irony,” CNET writes.

FTC blamed the mishap on an unknown error with its email distribution list.

The agency sent a recall message and encouraged participants to delete the email so they wouldn't retain the list of addresses, which included more than 600 businesspeople, academics, government workers and journalists. But the damage was already done.

"I find it surprising that FTC.gov team would not hide all of the email recipients on a blast in regards to a conference on... digital security and best practices," wrote Shane Unrein, director of digital marketing and social media at an automotive company in Virginia, in a reply-all message to the agency's email. "Just saying :-/," he added.