FTC to Host Workshop on Consumer Injuries and Benefits in the Data-Driven Economy

The Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop on February 26, 2026, to examine how the agency can better understand and measure consumer injuries and benefits that may result from the collection, use, or disclosure of consumer data.

The workshop, “Measuring Injuries and Benefits in the Data-Driven Economy,” will also explore efforts to measure consumers’ privacy preferences, as well as the impacts of data breaches on consumers. The event will examine developments in the marketplace that have occurred since the FTC’s previous workshop on the issue in December 2017, particularly given the rapid growth of the collection and use of consumer data over the last eight years.

The event will feature panel discussions on such topics as:

• Quantifying informational injuries and the potential benefits of consumer data collection and use;
• The impacts of data breaches on consumers and efforts to minimize injuries;
• The costs and benefits of behavioral and contextual advertising; and
• Measuring consumers’ privacy preferences, beliefs, and decisions.

The workshop will be held online and in person at the FTC’s Constitution Center at 400 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20024. Additional information about the event, including information about the webcast, will be posted to the event page in the coming weeks. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required to attend.