FTC Issues Report on Consumer Privacy

The FTC released its preliminary report on consumer privacy today. Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Business and Policymakers identifies the need for businesses to collect information about their customers for marketing purposes in comparison to the corporate maintenance of personal electronic dossiers that spell out consumer habits, preferences, and interests. The statements and proposals contained in the report suggest the Commission would like to split the difference between data collectors and consumers.