Collecting data from and about customers and consumers is a modern business mandate. Most brands use this data (including Big Data) in some way, such as to personalize messages and content, to optimize their sites or apps, or to improve their products, services and offerings. The data collected is often just anonymous unique identifiers and segments of potential interest, although in some cases the information is personally identifiable or at least capable of being tied back to a consumer. However, with all of this advancement and revenue at hand, brands and their vendors are operating in a rapidly changing area that continues to lack regulatory certainty in the United States and around the world.

This program, which includes leading practitioners and industry experts, will explore the cutting-edge legal concerns in online tracking and targeting. Topics will also include:

• How online, mobile and social media tracking and targeting work from a technical perspective
• Hot topics in privacy law, including advertising online, across mobile apps, in social media and across related devices, and new issues surrounding the use of Big Data as described in a recent FTC report
• Self-regulatory initiatives associated with online and mobile tracking, targeting and personalization
• Fact patterns that have resulted in bad PR, government enforcement and private litigation
• How regulators around the world are addressing tracking and targeting
• How Chief Privacy Officers at leading companies are handling tracking issues now

WilmerHale Partner Reed Freeman is chair of the program and Partner Noah Levine will speak on “Privacy-Related Class Action Status.”