The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its 2012 report, “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era

of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers”1, which outlined a framework

for privacy protection based on three main principles: privacy by design, simplified consumer choice,

and greater transparency. The report also identified five priority areas for the FTC’s privacy

enforcement and policy efforts, which were:

Data brokers

Large platform providers

Mobile

Promoting enforceable self-regulatory codes

International data transfers

Do Not Track was not one of the five priority areas, but rather a specific mechanism for implementing

the principle of simplified consumer choice. The report endorsed the development of a Do Not Track

system that would allow consumers to opt out of online behavioral advertising across websites and

platforms1. The report also noted the progress made by various stakeholders, such as the World

Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), and browser companies, in

advancing the Do Not Track initiative1. Reference: 1: Federal Trade Commission, Protecting

Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers

(March 2012), available at 1.