The explosion of mobile and social marketing gives rise to endless questions regarding privacy and protection of consumers’ sensitive data.

And now is the time to voice your opinions about some of the most pressing privacy matters under review by the FTC. The FTC’s public comment period on privacy guidelines continues until Jan. 31, 2011. And next month, Macy’s Chief Privacy Officer Keith Enright will bring his insightful perspectives to Miami, where he’ll deliver a keynote at RetailConnnections Business Executive Summit.

Macy's Chief Privacy Officer Keith Enright

The timing is phenomenal. Enright’s talk on Feb. 28, 2011, comes just as the FTC readies next steps for its draft privacy report, “Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change.” Billed as a proposed framework for business and policymakers, the exhaustive document highlights a number of issues that merit discussion. Among the privacy issues that bubble to the top:

• Should teens, often unaware of the consequences of sharing personal information, be considered “sensitive users,” and therefore be protected by more rigid consent procedures?

• Do you support a “Do Not Track” mechanism that gives consumers control over behavioral advertising targeted at them? Will an opt-out site like this beta work?

• What constitutes sensitive data? If people post their own personal information on public social networking sites, can that information be regarded as “private” and “sensitive”?

• What types of disclosures and consent mechanisms would be most effective to inform consumers about the trade-offs they make when they share their data in exchange for services? How do you manage informed consent in a mobile context, recognizing form factor limitations like a small display screen and the number of third parties usually involved with mobile apps?

• What is the probable impact if large numbers of consumers elect to opt out of online behavioral advertising?

Macy’s Enright says new proposals under consideration by the FTC can have far-reaching implications for how retailers market to consumers and he’ll address those at the RetailConnections Summit. Retail executives — VP level and above — who want to join us at the Summit can click here.

There’s many more pressing privacy issues raised in the FTC document and the public comment period concludes Jan. 31, 2011. The FTC invites you to offer your input and you can do by clicking here.