Addressing the privacy issues related to advertising technology and online tracking has been a key focus since FPF’s founding. Increasingly, the mobile advertising space, geo-location tracking, and indoor positioning technologies are at the forefront of online data management, retail, and new consumer offerings. Thus, it is not surprising that regulators, industry leaders, and advocates are taking a hard look at questions about how to appropriately collect and handle consumer data for advertising, location-based targeting, and audience measurement. Additionally, as public awareness of targeted and personalized advertising grows, organizations are pushed to deliver more helpful, relevant ads by less intrusive means. FPF curates a gallery of leading practices, provides up-to-date analysis of emerging and evolving technologies, convenes stakeholders in a monthly working group call, and works with policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders to support leading privacy practices for the use of location data.
FPF Advisory Board Makes Up 2/3 of Witnesses at Hearing
Today, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has a hearing entitled “Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Privacy.” Four of the six witnesses appearing before the subcommittee are Advisory Board members (or, in the case of Microsoft, representing a company whose CPO is on our Advisory Board).
To Track or “Do Not Track” – that is the Question
By Omer Tene Jules Polonetsky, Co-chair and Director of the Future of Privacy Forum, and I are delighted to announce that our paper, “To Track or ‘Do Not Track’: Advancing Transparency and Individual Control in Online Behavioral Advertising,” has been accepted for publication in the Fall 2011 issue of the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science, […]
FPF Comments on Study Revealing that Websites are Leaking Consumer Data
WASHINGTON (October 11, 2011)-In response to the report released today at the webcast event, “Yes, They Really Know It’s You: The Digital Collection of Personal Information from Consumers and Citizens,” sponsored by various privacy organizations, the Future of Privacy Forum issued the following statement: What the study fails to emphasize is that most companies targeting […]
Hearing Discusses Proposed Revisions to COPPA
FPF was in attendance at the hearing yesterday chaired by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), entitled, “Protecting Children’s Privacy in a Electronic World.” Members of the Subcommittee showed their overwhelming support for the FTC’s efforts to better protect children in their proposed revisions to COPPA. Rep. Bono Mack stated that FTC had hit the “sweet […]
House SubCommittee Looks at Proposed Revisions to COPPA
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently revealed its proposed amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). COPPA requires that operators of websites or online services notify parents and obtain their consent when collecting, using, or disclosing the personal information of children under the age of 13. FPF shares the FTC’s visions to protect […]
GSMA Research Shows Mobile Users Rank Privacy an Important Concern
An extensive GSMA study of over 4,000 mobile phone users in Singapore, Spain, and the UK reveals that most users are concerned about sharing personal information when using mobile applications and Internet. Privacy concerns were shown to hinder user interaction with such apps and services, but research also illustrates the significant value users place this […]
MMA & FPF Talk Mobile Privacy Fundamentals
Future of Privacy Forum Co-chairs Jules Polonetsky and Chris Wolf presented today along with other industry leaders at the Mobile Marketing Association Webinar: Privacy Fundamentals for Mobile–What You Need to Know To Successfully Navigate the Landscape. Chris Wolf discussed the risks associated with poor mobile privacy practices such as the WSJ’s “What They Know” series […]
FTC Competition Bureau Approves Privacy Self-Regulatory Program
The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) has received a green light from the FTC’s Bureau of Competition for the CBBB’s “Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (OBA),” drafted by a coalition of industry associations. http://www.ftc.gov/os/2011/08/100815cbbbletter.pdf The Principles, administered by the Digital Advertising Alliance, require transparency about the information collected and are intended to give […]
Center for American Progress Hosts Program on “Do Not Track” with Focus on Kids
With a room filled to capacity this morning, the Center for American Progress hosted a special presentation entitled “Tracking: Where You Are, What You See, and What to Do.” Neera Tanden, the Chief Operating Officer for Center for American Progress moderated the panel which featured a keynote by FTC Commissioner Julie Brill. Panelists included FPF […]
Will users opt-in to analytics cookies? Initial results show: “No!”
In order to demonstrate a model implementation for opt-in cookies under the Amendments to the EU Telecom Directive, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) implemented an opt-in for the use of an analytics cookie. The “above the banner” opt-in request can be seen here, and at the links here and here you can see the results of […]