• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, September 19, 2008

FTC's Harrison said the agency needs more information from marketers and tech companies involved in online tracking to to better regulate the industry. "What we would like to know is just what is being collectedd and how it's being used and how its being combined," she said. Otherwise policy will be made and "it may not be good policy because there isn't enough information."

She added the frequency and volume of data collection has "exploded" turning online privacy into a "very juicy issue in Washington." While the FTC has pushed meaningful self-regulation, the Center for Democracy and Technology's Ari Schwartz said it really takes legislation to get marketers to take steps to adopt more consumer-friendly privacy practies and policies. "I think we need back-stop regulation for these companies that don't end up joining [self-regulation] regimes.