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FTC to Host Workshop on Technology Use in Consumer Debt Collection Process

By Ed Silverstein
TMCnet Contributor

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop next month on the impact of new technology in consumer debt collection.

The day-long workshop will cover how technology affects communication between debt collectors and consumers, the FTC (News - Alert) said. It will also examine how debt collectors get and process their information about consumers and debts, the FTC adds.

The FTC says that some of the hardware, software, services and devices that will be examined are:

- mobile telephones

-e-mail

- social media

- information-gathering tools

- software platforms, such as auto-dialers, databases and payment portals.

The forum will look at how the technology impacts the collectors' efforts to comply with relevant laws and related consumer protection, according to the FTC.

The forum will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on April 28^th. It will also be offered for viewing in a webcast. For details please click here or visit http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/debtcollectiontech/index.shtml on the FTC website.

The workshop is called “Debt Collection 2.0: Protecting Consumers as Technologies Change.” Among those taking part will be consumer advocates, industry reps, technology specialists, college faculty and government officials.

The workshop is free and open to the public.

It will be held in the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Those who attend must present government-issued photo ID.

The FTC is also looking for people with expertise to be panelists. Interested panelists may submit a request to dctech@ftc.gov on or before 5 p.m. EST, on March 22.

In addition, interested parties can submit written comments or data, preferably in an electronic format. To submit, please use this FTC Web link: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/debtcollecttechworkshop.

In other recent FTC news, TMCnet’s Jamie Epstein reports that the federal Do Not Call List was designed to stop auto dialer system users such as telemarketers and debt collectors from violating rights of consumers not to be harassed over the phone. Now, new apps are being launched to help users file complaints, and to be sent directly to the FTC from an iPhone (News - Alert), Blackberry or Android smartphone, Epstein said.