FTC Announces Two Privacy Events

FTC Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security

On October 15, the FTC announced that it will host a workshop to examine the practices and privacy implications of comprehensive collection of consumers' online activities. On December 6, 2012, consumer protection organizations, academics, business and industry representatives, privacy professionals, and other stakeholders will review Internet data collection methods, identify those companies currently capable of comprehensive Internet data collection, consider what new legal protections are needed, and explore other related topics. The workshop is one step the FTC promised to pursue in a March 2012 report that urged companies to implement certain consumer privacy protections. On October 17, the FTC announced an upcoming forum on using enforceable industry codes of conduct to protect consumers in cross-border commerce. The forum will focus on the use of systems, like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross-Border Privacy Rules system which was created earlier this year, when information moves between countries with different privacy rules. The forum will bring together government officials, academics, industry members, and consumer groups to discuss the increasing use of such codes.