Federal Trade Commission Privacy Law and Policy

The Federal Trade Commission, a US agency created in 1914 to police the problem of 'bigness', has evolved into the most important regulator of information privacy - and thus innovation policy - in the world. Its policies profoundly affect business practices and serve to regulate most of the consumer economy. In short, it now regulates our technological future. Despite its stature, however, the agency is often poorly understood by observers and even those who practice before it. This volume by Chris Jay Hoofnagle - an internationally recognized scholar with more than fifteen years of experience interacting with the FTC - is designed to redress this confusion by explaining how the FTC arrived at its current position of power. It will be essential reading for lawyers, legal academics, political scientists, historians and anyone else interested in understanding the FTC's privacy activities and how they fit in the context of the agency's broader consumer protection mission.

Introduction; Part I. The History, Powers, and Procedure of the Federal Trade Commission: 1. History of the Federal Trade Commission; 2. The FTC and the rise of consumerism; 3. The modern FTC; 4. Organization and procedural basics; 5. Unfair and deceptive practices; Part II. The FTC's Regulation of Privacy: 6. Online privacy; 7. Privacy of children; 8. Information security; 9. Anti-marketing efforts: email, telemarketing, and malware; 10. Financial privacy; 11. International privacy efforts; Part III. Conclusion: 12. Strengthening the FTC and protecting privacy.

Chris Jay Hoofnagle is adjunct full professor at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Information, and faculty director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at the School of Law. He teaches about the regulation of technology, focusing on computer crime law, cybersecurity, Internet law, privacy law, and consumer protection law. Licensed to practice in California and Washington, DC, Hoofnagle is of counsel to Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin and Hachigian, LLP, a firm focused solely on advising global venture capital and emerging technology companies.