INFORMATION FLOWS:
THE
COSTS AND BENEFITS TO
CONSUMERS AND
BUSINESSES OF THE
COLLECTION AND USE
OF CONSUMER
INFORMATION
June
18, 2003
Federal
Trade Commission • Conference Center • 601 New Jersey Ave, NW • Washington, DC 20001 |
Since 1995, the FTC has examined
the consumer issues raised by the collection and use of
consumer information. To gain a better understanding of these issues,
the FTC has held workshops, conducted surveys,
prepared reports, and met with numerous industry and consumer
groups. Where the Commission determined that certain information
practices were unlawful, it has also brought
enforcement actions and issued educational materials to assist businesses
and consumers in avoiding these practices. In
approaching this issue, the FTC recognizes that the
sharing and use of information can benefit consumers, but seeks to
put a stop to unfair or deceptive information
practices that harm consumers.
As part of this ongoing effort
to examine how information practices affect consumers, the FTC is
announcing a workshop to examine the various costs and benefits of
collecting and using certain consumer information
to facilitate commercial transactions. To permit a closer examination of
the issues, the workshop will focus on the collection and use of
consumer information for particular commercial
purposes in the context of two or three case studies. Candidates for such
case studies include consumer credit, fraud prevention, financial
services, customer relations management, and
direct and targeted marketing. The workshop will not focus on transactions
or entities outside the FTC’s jurisdiction. The FTC
is particularly interested in learning about specific data or studies
showing
how the use of consumer information for these commercial purposes affects
consumers. Although observers frequently cite the costs and benefits of
these uses of consumer information, a more thorough examination of the
empirical evidence should promote greater understanding of the issues.
The Conference Center is accessible for persons with disabilities.
If you will need a disability-related accommodation for the conference,
please contact Tara Mikkilineni at 202-326-2823 or send a message to infoflows@ftc.gov.
More Information
Last Updated: Thursday, August 14, 2003
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