FTC: United States & Twelve Countries Unveil e-consumer.gov

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United States & Twelve Countries Unveil e-consumer.gov

Internet-based Project to Gather and Share Cross-Border e-Commerce Complaints Announced at International Marketing Supervision Network ("IMSN") Conference in New York

April 24, 2001

Responding to the challenges posed by cross-border Internet fraud and working to enhance consumer protection and consumer confidence in e-commerce, the United States and twelve countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland & United Kingdom) today unveiled econsumer.gov, a joint effort to gather and share cross-border e-commerce complaints. econsumer.gov, led by the United States Federal Trade Commission as president of the IMSN, will greatly improve international law enforcement agencies' ability to address cross-border Internet fraud and deception. This effort will be launched at the semi-annual IMSN conference in New York City, presided over by FTC Commissioner Mozelle W. Thompson.

"The global nature of ecommerce presents opportunities and challenges. The Internet offers consumers access to goods, services and information from around the world," said Chairman Robert Pitofsky. "But the borderless nature of the marketplace can also frustrate governments' ability to protect consumers. econsumer.gov will provide a new tool to allow countries to work together to make the Internet safer for consumers across the globe."

The project has two components: a multilingual public Web site - http://www.econsumer.gov - and a government, password-protected Web site. The public site will provide general information about consumer protection in all IMSN countries, contact information for consumer protection authorities in those countries, and an online complaint form. All information will be available in English, Spanish, French and German. Using the existing Consumer Sentinel network, a database of consumer complaint data and other investigatory information and operated by the FTC, the incoming complaints will be shared through the government Web site with participating consumer protection law enforcers that have signed a Confidentiality Agreement. Twelve participating countries and Chairman Robert Pitofsky on behalf the FTC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the project. The FTC will maintain control over the public Web site and all data collected, and will host and maintain the site.

The vote to authorize the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and Associated Confidentiality Agreement to implement the project was 5-0.

Related Documents:

Going Shopping? Go Global! A Guide for E-Consumers

Electronic Commerce: Selling Internationally. A Guide for Business

Memorandum of Understanding Among Certain Members of the International Marketing Supervision Network and Affiliated Agencies on Participation in the "eConsumer.gov" Pilot Project

Text of Memorandum of Understanding and Annex
(Model Consumer Sentinel Network Confidentiality Agreement)

The above article was reprinted from an announcement on the Federal Trade Commission web site dated April 24, 2001. Check the FTC web site for changes to the article.

This page was last modified on July 22, 2007.

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