Formal government safeguards on data management practices may result from the US Federal Trade Commission’s public roundtables addressing evolving consumer privacy issues. The FTC roundtables, which have included discussions with industry stakeholders and privacy advocates, were designed to study ways of protecting consumer privacy in online environments. So far, two roundtables have addressed the protection of privacy in cloud computing, social networking, and online behavioral advertising, among other issues. Privacy advocate groups have asked the FTC to regulate the industry rather than continue relying on industry self-regulation of privacy.

Another roundtable has been scheduled for March 17, 2010.  See www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/privacyroundtables for further information.