In an article for The Brookings Institution, former Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler writes about his issues with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Wheeler focuses on the FTC’s stance that the ability for consumers to opt out of online advertising would result in the “loss of advertising-funded online content.” Wheeler writes the FTC misses the point, as opt-outs are more about users having control over what happens to their information. “It is concerning that the FTC — the agency so many have looked to as a potential protector of online privacy — has shown that when given a choice between protecting companies or protecting consumers, they accept the companies’ spin and walk away from Americans’ concerns about their personal privacy,” Wheeler writes. Editor's Note: IAPP Associate Editor Ryan Chiavetta, CIPP/US, writes about the FTC's hearing with a Senate subcommittee in this piece for The Privacy Advisor.
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