FTC Sets Guidelines For November 'Town Hall' Meeting

One year after its "Tech-Ade" forum and in the midst of review of the proposed Google/DoubleClick deal, the Federal Trade Commission set Nov. 1-2 as the dates for its Town Hall meeting to bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, technology experts, and academics to address the consumer protection issues raised by the practice of tracking consumers' activities online to target advertising--or "behavioral advertising."

Topics at the Town Hall will include:

  • How does online behavioral advertising work? What types of companies play a role in this market?

  • What types of data are collected? Is the data personally identifiable or anonymous? Even when the data is anonymous, is it, or could it be, combined with personally identifiable data from other sources?

  • How is the data used, and by whom? Is it shared or sold? Is the data used for any purposes other than to target advertising?

  • How has the online advertising market, and specifically behavioral advertising, changed since 2000?

  • What security protections are companies providing for the consumer data that they collect, use, transfer, or store?

  • What do consumers understand about the collection of their information online for use in advertising?

  • Are companies disclosing their online data-collection practices to consumers? Are these disclosures an appropriate and effective way to inform the public about these practices? Are companies offering consumers choices about how data is collected and used?

  • What standards do, or should, govern practices related to online behavioral advertising? Are companies following the Network Advertising Initiative Principles, originally issued in 2000 for online network advertising companies? Are these principles still relevant, in light of changes in the marketplace? What other legal or self-regulatory standards are applicable to these practices? Are certain practices generally regarded as appropriate or inappropriate in this area?

  • What changes are anticipated in the online behavioral advertising market over the next five years? Will information be collected through technological means other than cookies? Is behavioral advertising moving beyond the Internet into other technologies?

    The event is free and open to the public. It will also be Webcast.

    The Commission invites interested parties to submit requests to be panelists using the address behavioraladvertising_requests@ftc.gov by Sept. 14, 2007.

    The Commission asks interested parties to include a statement detailing their expertise on issues involving behavioral targeting, data collection and consumer privacy.

    Any person also may submit written comments by email behavioraladvertising_comments@ftc.gov or by mail to Secretary, Federal Trade Commission, Room H-135 (Annex N), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Comments must be received by Oct. 19, 2007.

    "The idea that the FTC has to collect more data before it can act to protect consumers is absurd," said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, which will participate. "Our complaint--and the substantial, almost daily, information we have submitted to the FTC since then--provides sufficient and compelling evidence for action. The FTC should be issuing rules, not invitations for an industry talkfest that will result in a delay protecting consumers."

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