Recent testimony by Jessica Rich, the FTC’s Deputy Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, may be of interest.

At the outset, the FTC clearly defines teens as a vulnerable consumer group. Ms. Rich notes: “[R]esearch shows that teens tend to be more impulsive than adults and that they may not think as clearly as adults about the consequences of what they do. As a result, they may voluntarily disclose more information online than they should. On social networking sites, young people may share personal details that leave them vulnerable to identify theft. They may also share details that could adversely affect their potential employment or college admissions. . . About one-third of all teens online have reported experiencing some kind of online harassment, including cyberbullying.”

Specifically, Ms. Rich expresses concern about teens’ use of social networking, mobile technology, and P2P file sharing – - with critical privacy implications.

Finally, and most importantly from a policy perspective, she raises the issue of “whether there should be special privacy protections for [teens].”

The testimony can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/os/testimony/100715toopatestimony.pdf