The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is planning on investigating the privacy and security implications of cloud computing, behavioural advertsing, and several other privacy matters related distinctly with internet activity according to a recent filing (statement starts roughly on Page 8 of the PDF) with the Federal Communications Commission.

The FTC and the FCC share jurisdiction with respect to broadband issues, hence the FTC filing with the FCC.  According to the FTC, in relatin to cloud computing  "...the storage of data on remote computers may also raise privacy and security concerns for consumers," wrote David Vladeck, who is the head of the FTC's Consumer Protection Bureau.

In general the FTC is going to attempt to answer the following question:

1. What network management practices are used when network capacity is not constrained? What benefits or efficiencies are associated with these practices?

2. What network management practices are used when network capacity is constrained, due to congestion or other factors? What benefits or efficiencies are associated with these practices?

3. Are there alternatives, other than network management (e.g., increasing network capacity), to remedy capacity constraints? To what extent are such alternatives practical and economically feasible?

4. Do network operators have incentives to limit network capacity, for example, in order to sell prioritized data transmission or other types of quality of service assurances?

5. To what extent have network management practices been used to block or degrade data transmission, either when capacity is constrained or under other circumstances?

6. How do providers of online content and applications currently compensate network operators for Internet access and the transmission of their data?

7. What network management practices are required to ensure that network operators can provide services to online content and applications providers? Are there services that can be provided only by network operators in conjunction with network management?

8. Are there ways that some content and applications providers may obtain preferred transmission of their data, beyond  best-efforts transmission, either when network capacity is constrained or unconstrained? What are these techniques? To what
extent are they used?

9. How are content and applications providers that do not obtain preferential transmission of their data affected by those that might obtain such treatment?

10. How do consumers become aware of whether the content and applications they use are transmitted by a network on a basis other than best-efforts? To what extent are consumers, in fact, aware of such treatment?

11. What are consumers’ expectations about the collection, use, and security of their personal information when they browse the Internet, purchase products online, and participate in social networking sites? What are the best ways to measure such expectations?

12. What are the most significant threats to the privacy and security of consumers’ personal information in the broadband Internet context?

13. What privacy and data security protections are currently provided for data obtained from behavioral advertising? Are additional protections needed?

14. What new data security, access, and control issues are presented by cloud computing
platforms that may house applications and personal data?

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