From: Dov Smith dov@zeroknowledge.com Austin Hill Secretary, Federal Trade Commission Re: Online Profiling Project - Comment, P994809 / Docket No. 990811219-9219-01 Dear Mr. Secretary: I seek to participate in the Federal Trade Commission's public workshop on online profiling. I serve as president of Zero-Knowledge Systems Inc., an Internet privacy firm that develops end-user-controlled privacy solutions to enhance the privacy of Internet users. I lecture regularly on Internet privacy and security, ISP liability, US-EU data privacy regulations and related issues. I have expertise in the area of online profiling and can address the issue from a global perspective, and especially from a consumer-protection perspective. I recently took part in the Federal Trade Commission's public workshop on proposed regulations for implementing the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. To briefly summarize my views, I believe online profiling is a serious and challenging issue that will affect the degree and quality of privacy that consumers are able to attain as the Internet evolves. In addressing this issue now, we must propose effective measures that will balance the rights and concerns of various groups within society, but most importantly we must protect the millions of consumers who currently enjoy minimal protection online. I believe we can do this by deploying easy-to-implement solutions made possible by powerful technologies, paralleled by strong legal protections that articulate and enforce every consumer's basic rights online. I wish to contribute to Sessions II and III of the workshop, during which I intend to address some ways in which consumer privacy can be protected in light of the rise of new profiling technologies. I would be pleased to discuss this information with you, at your convenience, prior to the workshop. I appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the discussion of this very important issue. Sincerely, Austin Hill cc: Martha K. Landesberg Dov Smith, Director of Public Relations CC: "'mlandesberg@ftc.gov'" mlandesberg@ftc.gov |