(Telecompaper) Mobile device manufacturer HTC America has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company failed to take reasonable steps to secure the software it developed for its smartphones and tablet computers, introducing security flaws which placed sensitive information about millions of consumers at risk. The settlement requires HTC America to develop and release software patches to fix vulnerabilities found in millions of HTC devices. In addition, the settlement requires HTC America to establish a comprehensive security programme designed to address security risks during the development of HTC devices and to undergo independent security assessments every other year for the next twenty years. The settlement also prohibits HTC America from making any false or misleading statements about the security and privacy of consumers' data on HTC devices.