FTC Announces Agenda for Conference on Securing Personal Data in the Global Economy

The Federal Trade Commission has announced the agenda for an upcoming two-day international conference titled “Securing Personal Data in the Global Economy.” The conference, which the FTC will host in conjunction with two international organizations, takes place March 16 and 17, 2009 and addresses how companies can manage personal data-security issues in a global information environment where data can be stored and accessed from multiple jurisdictions.

Co-sponsors of the conference, which the FTC first announced last month, are the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The conference will include a series of moderated panel discussions; audience participation is encouraged. People interested in participating in the conference as speakers may enquire by e-mail to securingpersonaldata@ftc.gov. Pre-registration is not required.

The conference agenda addresses: data security and the law; data security practices in industry; best practices for responding to data breaches; data flows and cross-border conflicts; a case study; and a wrap-up discussion on current and future trends. The agenda can be found as a link to this press release on the FTC’s Web site. For the most up-to-date information about the conference, visit the conference Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/personaldataglobal/index.shtm.

The conference, which is to be webcast, will be held in Washington, DC at the FTC’s satellite building at 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW. It will take place after the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Privacy Summit is held in the same city.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.