[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 9339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-3194]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION


Public Workshop: The Information Marketplace: Merging and 
Exchanging Consumer Data

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice announcing public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') has set Tuesday, 
March 13, 2001 as the date for a public workshop exploring how 
businesses merge and exchange detailed consumer information and how 
such information is used commercially.

DATE & SCHEDULE: The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
on March 13, 2001 in the Commission Meeting Room (432), 600 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. Public sign-in will 
begin at 8:00 a.m. The event is open to the public and no advance 
registration is required. There is no fee for attendance. In addition, 
the workshop will be audiocast live over the Internet. A detailed 
agenda and additional information on the workshop will be posted on the 
Commission's web site, www.ftc.gov. in advance of the workshop.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For questions about the workshop, contact: 
Martha Landesberg, telephone 202-326-2825, e-mail [email protected], 
or Allison Brown, telephone 202-326-3079, [email protected]. Both of the 
above staff can be reached by mail at: Division of Financial Practices, 
Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 
20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Workshop Goals

    In reports to Congress in June and July 2000, the Commission 
examined the practices of third-party Internet advertising networks 
engaged in ``online profiling'' activities \1\ These entities collect 
information about consumers as they surf across web sites to create 
detailed profiles which include information about consumers' surfing 
habits, and other personal and non-personal information, for the 
purpose of sending targeted online advertising messages to individual 
consumers.
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    \1\ See Online Profiling: A Report to Congress (June 2000) 
(issued by a vote of 5-0, with Commissioner Swindle concurring in 
part and dissenting in part), available at http://www.ftc.gov/os/2000/06/onlineprofilingreportjune2000.pdf; Online Profiling: A 
Report to Congress, Part 2 (July 2000) (issued by a vote of 4-1, 
with Commissioner Swindle dissenting and Commissioner Leary 
concurring in part and dissenting in part), available at http.//
www.ftc.gov/os/2000/07/onlineprofiling.htm.
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    Now, the Commission proposes to explore how detailed consumer 
profiles--i.e., compilations of identifying information, preference 
information, purchasing habits, and other information relating to a 
particular consumer--are created and used by entities other than third-
party Internet advertising networks. In particular, the Commission 
plans to consider whether and how consumer profiles are created through 
the merger and exchange of data between companies, regardless of 
whether the data at issue is collected or used online or offline, and 
how such profiles are used commercially. The goal of the upcoming 
workshop is to educate the Commission and the public about current 
business practices and emerging technologies.

Questions To Be Addressed

    Among the questions that may be addressed at the workshop are the 
following:
     What kinds of consumer information do businesses purchase, 
sell or exchange to create profiles and what are the sources of that 
information?
     Are there new technologies or technical standards that may 
increase the sharing of detailed consumer information and do they 
include or facilitate privacy protections?
     How does the merger and exchange of detailed consumer data 
between companies affect consumers?
     What types of notice have businesses provided to consumers 
regarding various kinds of data merger and exchange activities?
     What business purposes are served by the creation of 
consumer profiles through the merger of a company's internal 
information about consumers with information obtained from third-
parties?

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-3194 Filed 2-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-M