FTC asks Americans if new privacy rules are needed

The FTC is conducting a survey to ask the American population whether the privacy of consumers in the commercial sphere is sufficiently guaranteed. The watchdog wants to check whether the population is aware of how their data is collected and whether stricter laws are needed.

The Federal Trade Commission refers in his research to the physical, economic, psychological and social risks that an American consumer can incur from data collected by companies and its use. It also mentions practices of some companies that purport to collect data for a single purpose, but in practice use this information for multiple purposes. The watchdog also writes about the lack of options that consumers are presented with in relation to handing over their information.

It is for these and other reasons that the FTC is now introducing an investigation. The results of this can be used in amended legislation. For example, the FTC asks about any damage consumers may have suffered from data collection by companies and about damage that is difficult to quantify. In another question, the FTC examines whether certain types of data should be subject to regulation. It gives privacy-sensitive data as an example, but leaves the public free to make suggestions.

The chairman of the FTC writes in a separate statement that companies collect personal data from consumers on a very large scale and in very different contexts. With this study, she wants to better map public opinion and the watchdog wants to use the results to determine whether new legislation really needs to be introduced.