The Federal Trade Commission will host a Town Hall meeting on May 6-7, 2008, to explore the evolving mobile commerce (M-commerce) marketplace and its implications for consumer protection policy. This Town Hall, titled “Beyond Voice: Mapping the Mobile Marketplace,” follows up on the FTC’s November 2006 forum, “Tech-Ade,” which examined key technological and business developments that will shape consumers’ experiences over the next decade.
The Town Hall meeting will explore consumer protection issues in the rapidly expanding world of M-commerce, which connects consumers with advertisers, marketers, and a variety of providers of services and products, including ringtones, games, chat services, mobile coupons and other customer promotions, and location-based services.
Participants will examine many topics, including: the use of mobile messaging services as instruments of M-commerce; consumers’ ability to control mobile applications; the challenges presented by small screen disclosures; M-commerce practices targeting children and teens; industry best practices in preventing fraud; evolving security threats and solutions; and next-generation products and services.
The Commission invites interested parties to submit requests to be panelists and to recommend other related topics for discussion. The requests should be submitted electronically to beyondvoice@ftc.gov by February 27, 2008, and should include information about the parties’ expertise on the issues they propose to address, and complete contact information. The Commission will select panelists based on expertise and the need to represent a range of views about the issues. Panelists selected to participate will be notified by March 26, 2008. For questions, contact Ruth Yodaiken at 202-326-2127.
Any person also may submit written comments on the topics to be addressed at the Town Hall by June 6, 2008, (extended deadline) in the manner specified below.
The Town Hall, which will be free and open to the public, will be held at the FTC’s satellite building conference center, located at 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC. A government-issued photo ID is required for entry. Pre-registration is not required. Members of the public and press who wish to participate but who cannot attend can view a live Webcast of the Town Hall on the FTC’s Web site.
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to cmcglothlin@ftc.gov or by calling Carrie McGlothlin at (202) 326-3388. Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed and a way to contact you if we need more information. Please provide advance notice.
- Press Release (February 4, 2008)
- Agenda [PDF]
- Speaker Biographies [PDF]
- Webcast: This link takes you do the archived video of the webcast and the transcripts, when they become available.
- Comments
- Directions to the Conference Center
- Hotel information
- Nearby Restaurants
Check this page for further information about the Town Hall as it becomes available.
BACKGROUND
Related Past FTC Events
- 2000 workshop Mobile Wireless Web, Data Services and Beyond
- 2007 Spam Summit (see Emerging Threats panel)
- 2006 Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-Ade
- Ehavioral Marketing: Tracking, Targeting, and Technology
Additional FTC Material Related to Topics
- FTC Policy Statement on Deception
- FTC Policy Statement on Unfairness
- Dot Com Disclosures
- Rules of the Road for Businesses
- OnGuard Online (A Cooperative Website on Internet Security Information)
- FTC’s Children's Privacy Page
- Protecting Personal Information (FTC guide for businesses)
FILING A COMMENT — Deadline: EXTENDED until Monday, JUNE 6, 2008
Any person also may submit written comments on the topics to be addressed at the Town Hall.
Comments should refer to “Beyond Voice – Comment, Project No. P074403” to facilitate the organization of comments.
To File Electronically:
Follow the instructions and fill out the form at https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-BeyondVoice
To File in Paper Form:
A comment filed in paper form should include the reference to “Beyond Voice – Comment, Project No. P074403” in both the text and on the envelope, and should be mailed or delivered to the following address:
Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Room H-135 (Annex A)
Washington, DC 20580
The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because postal mail to the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
To Request Confidential Treatment:
To request confidential treatment, you must file in paper form and clearly label the first page of the document with “Confidential” and comply with Commission Rule 4.9(c). 15 C.F.R. § 4.9(c).
Comments must be received by COB Monday, June 6, 2008, (extended deadline).
FTC PRIVACY POLICY
The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the collection of public comments to consider
and use as appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments, whether filed in paper or electronic form,
will be considered and will be available to the public on the FTC website, to the extent practicable, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/comments/mobilevoice/index.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on the FTC website. More information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC’s privacy policy, at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.shtm.