New FTC Members More Receptive to Ad Industry Claims?

America's FTC may be growing more receptive to the charms of ad targeting, according to reports, with a raft of new Commissioners stressing the need to balance privacy concerns and the risk of misuse of data against 'the benefits of data to innovation and competition'.

The FTC submitted a staff report to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) this week in response to the latter's call for public comments about online privacy. In it the Commission opines that 'If consumers were opted out of online advertisements by default (with the choice of opting in), the likely result would include the loss of advertising-funded online content'.

The report, quoted on www.mediapost.com , says the benefits include more relevant online experiences, such as retailers providing customized offers or video services recommending new shows. This represents a change of emphasis, if not yet of policy, from the FTC during the Obama administration, which rejected a blanket opt-in requirement for all behavioral advertising, but suggested companies should be required to obtain explicit consent before collecting sensitive data including names, financial information, health data, search queries and social media posts, and even the titles of books read or movies viewed.

Mediapost notes that the new report comes as Congress is preparing to tackle online privacy, with viewpoints submitted by everyone from tech companies and the ad industry to consumer watchdog.