FTC Staff Report: Self-Regulatory Principles For Online Behavioral Advertising

摘要

Since the emergence of e-commerce in the mid-1990s, the online marketplace has continued to expand and evolve, creating new business models that allow greater interactivity between consumers and online companies. This expanding marketplace has provided many benefits to consumers, including free access to rich sources of information and the convenience of shopping for goods and services from home. At the same time, the ease with which companies can collect and combine information from consumers online has raised questions and concerns about consumer privacy. Starting in 1995, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) has sought to understand the online marketplace and the privacy issues it raises for consumers. The Commission has hosted numerous public workshops and has issued public reports focusing on online data collection practices, industry self-regulatory efforts, and technological developments affecting consumer privacy. As part of this effort, the Commission has examined online behavioral advertising the practice of tracking an individuals online activities in order to deliver advertising tailored to the individuals interests. In November 2007, the FTC held a twoday Town Hall, which brought together numerous interested parties to discuss online behavioral advertising in a public forum.