The online tracking and targeting of consumers –– both in its current form and as it may develop in the future –– needs to be limited so that consumers can exercise meaningful, granular preferences based on timely and contextual disclosures that are understandable on whichever devices consumers choose to use. Consumers must be free to act in their own self-interest. Companies engaged in monitoring and tracking must respect consumer privacy by implementing Fair Information Practices,2 and there must be a structure that allows for enforcement of these rights. A right that is selectively enforced, or that is without effective enforcement, is not a meaningful right.

Consensus document | Consumer rights and protections — Nine privacy and consumer groups, including the World Privacy Forum, unveiled a consensus document outlining key consumer rights and protections in the behavioral advertising sector. The document is directed toward the Federal Trade Commission, and urges the FTC to take proactive steps to adequately protect consumers as online and other forms of behavioral tracking and targeting become more ubiquitous. The consensus document was filed with the Secretary of the FTC and its commissioners. Behavioral advertising is the focus of the FTC’s eHavioral Advertising Town Hall meeting taking place November 1-2 in Washington, D.C. The network advertising sector has a self-regulatory plan, the Network Advertising Initiative, in place, and has had this plan in place since 2000. The consensus document addresses the many areas where the NAI plan has failedto protect consumers.

Ten privacy and consumer groups, including the World Privacy Forum, unveiled a consensus document outlining key consumer rights and protections in the behavioral advertising sector. The document is directed toward the Federal Trade Commission, and urges the FTC to take proactive steps to adequately protect consumers as online and other forms of behavioral tracking and targeting become more ubiquitous. The consensus document was filed with the Secretary of the FTC and its commissioners. Behavioral advertising is the focus of the FTC’s eHavioral Advertising Town Hall meeting taking place November 1-2 in Washington, D.C. The network advertising sector has a self-regulatory plan, the Network Advertising Initiative, in place, and has had this plan in place since 2000. The consensus document addresses the many areas where the NAI plan has failed to protect consumers.

Version 1: October 16, 2007   The World Privacy Forum, as part of its ongoing in-depth research into medical identity theft issues and responses, has outlined 8 best-practice responses to the crime by the health care sector. These best practices are based on interviews with victims, providers, and other stakeholders. These 8 best practices are

Medical identity theft | AHIMA — Executive director Pam Dixon spoke to thousands of AHIMA delegates in Philadelphia sharing the latest information on medical identity theft and outlining 8 best practice responses to the crime for the health care sector. Dixon specifically asked for the creation of national guidelines for helping medical identity theft victims, the ability for victims to set red flag alerts in their health care files, that providers train and have dedicated personnel to help medical identity theft victims, “john and jane doe” file extractions, a focus on addressing insider access to patient information, risk assessments specifically for medical identity theft, and educational efforts. The information in the speech was based on the latest World Privacy Forum research in the area of medical identity theft.