FTC Releases Agenda for First Privacy Roundtable and Announces Date of Second Roundtable

The Federal Trade Commission today released the agenda for its first privacy roundtable, scheduled for December 7, 2009, at the FTC Conference Center in Washington, DC. The Roundtable is the first of three public events designed to explore the privacy challenges posed by technology and business practices that collect and use consumer data. The agenda, available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/privacyroundtables/index.shtml, launches the public dialogue by focusing on the risks and benefits of information-sharing practices, consumer expectations regarding such practices, behavioral advertising, information brokers, and the adequacy of existing legal and self-regulatory frameworks.

The Commission also announced that it will convene its second privacy roundtable on January 28, 2010. The event, hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, will take place at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law Booth Auditorium. The second roundtable will focus on how technology affects consumer privacy, including its role in both raising privacy concerns and enhancing privacy protections. The roundtable will include specific discussions on cloud computing, mobile computing, and social networking. Details regarding the third and final roundtable, which will take place on March 17, 2010, in Washington, DC, will be announced at a later date.

The Privacy Roundtables are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required. Members of the public and press who wish to participate but who cannot attend can view a live Webcast.

Individuals and organizations may submit requests to participate as panelists in the second roundtable and may recommend topics for inclusion on the agenda. The requests and recommendations should be submitted electronically to privacyroundtable@ftc.gov. Prospective panelists for the second roundtable should submit a statement detailing their expertise on the issues to be addressed and contact information, no later than December 9, 2009. Panelists will be selected based on expertise and the need to include a broad range of views. Please note that if you already have submitted a request to participate in the first roundtable event, you need not submit another request. All requests already submitted will be considered for all roundtable events.

The Commission also invites interested parties to submit written comments or original research. A list of specific questions to inform the second roundtable discussions is available at the Commission’s website at www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/privacyroundtables. Although the comment period will remain open until March 17, 2010, only those comments submitted by December 21, 2009, will be considered prior to the second roundtable.

Comments should refer to “Privacy Roundtables – Comment, Project No. P095416.” To file electronically, follow the instructions and fill out the form at https://public.commentworks.com/ftc/privacyroundtable2 Paper comments should include the above reference both in the text and on the envelope, and should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-135 (Annex P2), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Comments containing confidential material, however, must be filed in paper form, must be clearly labeled “Confidential,” and must comply with Commission Rule 4.9(c). The FTC requests that any paper comments be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.

Both roundtable venues are accessible to people with disabilities. For the second roundtable, interested parties may obtain additional information about campus access at http://dsp.berkeley.edu/access.html. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests should be submitted via e-mail to cmcglothlin@ftc.gov or by calling Carrie McGlothlin at 202-326-3388. Requests should be made in advance. Please include a detailed description of the accommodation needed, and provide contact information.

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 1,700 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.