CFA applauds the Commission's efforts to improve consumer and privacy protections in the on-line marketplace. Requirements that consumers retain control of personal information and individually identifiable transaction information are crucial in the on-line environment. Coupled with personal information, marketers can create a detailed and specific profile of each consumer. CFA submits the attached comments in response to questions 2.1, 2.3, 2.16-18 for the FTC's Public Workshop on Consumer Information Privacy, Session Two. In addition to these comments, CFA has also filed comments on children's privacy along with the Center for Media Education.
Computer technologies make it possible to track all interactions users have on-line.
Such covert data collection is becoming an essential tool for on-line advertisers. Unlike TV ratings which generally use anonymous aggregate numbers to reveal the viewing behavior of key demographic groups, on-line usage data can directly track how individuals respond to advertising. A burgeoning industry has developed to provide such on-line tracking services. On-line advertisers seek assurances that their ads will be seen by a significant number of people. To meet this need, corporations such as DoubleClick and Netscape have developed elaborate systems for collecting visitor information.