Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, PRIVACY NEWS: Commissioner Ramirez addresses FTC’s PrivacyCon workshop, (Jan 14, 2016)

By Linda O’Brien, J.D., LL.M.

With PrivacyCon, a first-of-its-kind conference bringing together leading experts to present original research on privacy and data security, the FTC seeks to tap the expertise and insights of the research community to help the agency fulfill its consumer protection mandate, said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez in her opening address today at the FTC’s PrivacyCon Workshop in Washington, D.C.

Ramirez began her remarks by explaining that the FTC constantly seeks to expand its understanding of emerging technologies in order to ensure that consumers enjoy the benefits of innovation with confidence that their personal information is being handled responsibly. The aim of the workshop is to bridge the gap between the academic, tech, and policy worlds, and spur a rich dialogue about privacy and data security.

The workshop started with sessions addressing the current state of online privacy and consumer expectations about privacy. According to Ramirez, the agency needs to better understand consumer expectations and the degree to which consumer perceptions of business data practices align with what is actually happening in the marketplace. Other workshop sessions addressed big data and algorithms, the economics of privacy and data security, and security and usability. Some of the issues discussed during the sessions were big data and bias, the economic incentives underlying company data practices, the costs of cyber incidents, and available options to consumers to avoid unwanted tracking.

In the Commissioner’s view, the FTC is just now scratching the surface of what is to come by way of technological advancement, increasing uses of big data, and the implications for consumers. To ensure continued progress, the agency must develop privacy protection approaches that are built on innovative thinking and breakthroughs made through research. At the same time, the FTC wants to encourage “research that will aid in addressing the complex questions that policymakers are eagerly seeking to answer,” Ramirez concluded.

News: ConsumerProtection Privacy FederalTradeCommissionNews