Podcast #1: December 30, 2010

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In today’s podcast, we discuss the Federal Trade Commission’s recently issued privacy proposals. My guest is Karen Neuman, a founding partner of St. Ledger-Roty Neuman & Olson LLP, a Washington, DC law firm that focuses on regulation of information technologies and communications law, including privacy & data security, mobile communications, the Internet, media, telecommunications and related transactional matters.

At the core of the new privacy proposal is the idea that the current system of self-regulation does not provide enough consumer protection.  Basically, from the FTC’s perspective, people do not pay enough attention to the data-collecting activities of websites and not enough companies are up-front about the data they do collect from visitors to their sites.  The FTC says that while many companies detail their data collection through privacy policies, consumers bear too much of a burden in having to sort through such long, legalistic documents.

Among other proposals, the FTC’s new framework would require a “Do Not Track” option, much like the one we currently have to avoid telemarketers.  “Do Not Track” would essentially prevent companies from tracking things like your browsing history and buying habits, making it much more difficult for them to target consumers with personalized ads.  The proposal also aims to have companies incorporate more consumer protection into their business practices through simpler, more transparent options and by allowing consumers more access to the data being collected about them.  The FTC issued its proposed rules just last week, and requested public comment from both businesses and the public.

Please click play on the audio player below to hear the podcast.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.