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.

Agenda and Panelist Statements
Federal Register Notice
Public Comments
Transcript

More Information

Press Release (4/21/03)
Local Restaurants and Hotels
Directions between FTC buildings [PDF]