It's Not a Private Party--When Consumers Discover that the Drinks Aren't Really Free

High-tech advertising is throwing the online party of the century, and consumers are having the time of their lives, checking into cyberspace to do everything from diagnose their cat's skin condition to find their future spouse. But the public is coming to understand that the free online content we all enjoy may be as free as the drinks handed out in Las Vegas casinos, and the currency of the house is information about consumers' private behavior. The online ad industry says that consumers are getting a bargain—the wealth of cyberspace and the convenience of targeted advertising in exchange for painless tracking and invisible data collection. Do consumers agree? Is this a price they understand and are willing to pay? Join Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, to discuss the FTC's work on consumer privacy, including their forthcoming follow-up to the 2010 report that advocated privacy by design, consumer choice and increased transparency; the proposal for a Do Not Track mechanism that would let consumers choose to keep their Internet browsing private; the advertising industry's self-regulatory program; and the FTC's latest privacy cases.

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