Privacy Maven

Visit the special FTC Web site to find links to the Webcast and transcripts:

On November 1 and 2, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission will host a Town Hall entitled “Ehavioral Advertising: Tracking, Targeting, and Technology.” The event will bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, technology experts, and academics to address consumer protection issues raised by the practice of tracking consumers’ activities online to target advertising – or “behavioral advertising.” The Town Hall is a follow-on to a dialogue on behavioral advertising that emerged at a November 2006 FTC forum, “Tech-Ade,” which examined the key technological and business developments that will shape consumers’ core experiences in the coming ten years. In addition, several consumer privacy advocates, as well as the State of New York, recently sent letters to the FTC asking it to examine the effects of behavioral advertising on consumer privacy.

The FTC also invites public comments until November 16 on topics discussed.

How important are these issues? To find out more, watch this short video of a speech given by Eric Gertler, former CEO of Privista, who has written a book entitled, Prying Eyes : Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell to You, Snoop on You, or Steal From You. This speech is from a year ago, at DigitalLife Expo in New York City. Gertler seeks to raise awareness in the audience of high school students of their lack of online privacy and to urge them to take action in protecting themselves. The message is relevant for all of us.