Search engines' and Internet portals' appetite for user information for Internet advertising has been at the forefront of the international debate on threads to online privacy. Their business models rely on the collection of the interests, actions, habits and traits of Internet users worldwide. A younger generation of Internet users, above all children and teenagers, spend more time using search engines, social networks and virtual communities, disclosing and sharing vast quantites of personal information that are used to compile individual digital dossiers. These profiles, which can be shared, combinded and further analysed using data-mining techniques, are the essential input for online advertisement and bahavioural targeting. The resulting technical exposure of the individual behind an Internet user challenges existing privacy safeguards. Moreover, the Internet advertisement sector is consolidating and with it the different digital dossiers --- a trend that seems to escape any scrutiny of the effect on online privacy.

Data protection authorities and government officials have started analyzing these emerging privacy topics in their national, regional and international agendas. Consumer and civil society organizations at the last OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy have pointed out that "this consolidation between search engines and online advertising companies, data retention and Internet advertising practices will give unprecedented control over personal information that will seriously affect Internet users, including children, and it will threat competition for online marketing business". The OECD Civil Society Declaration point out that "dominant Internet firms are moving to consolidate their control over the Internet. It is vitally important for the OECD to develop a better understanding of the challenge industry consolidations pose to the open Internet."

Mr. Angel GURRÍA, the Secretary General of the OECD at the closing remarks of the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy stated that "the OECD Privacy Guidelines have "stood the test of time", but that the growth of business models built around data mining and the multiplication of social networking sites require that we understand and ask ourselves: "[W]hat are the risks, what are the benefits and how to adapt policy to this new environment?"

The purpose of this workshop is to follow up on those privacy questions raised by the OECD Secretary General as well to addressed the intersection of antitrust and privacy on the online adverstisment world. The event seeks to discuss how online privacy will be affected by the consolidation of online marketing advertisement models and which should be the role of all the stakeholders in this critical area? This Workshops is focused on consumer privacy and data protection and new business models around online adverstisment, Web 2.0, search engines and data retention practices. This topic was raised as an emerging issue during the closing remarks of the IGF in November 2007 in Rio as well as at the closing remarks done by the OECD Secretary General at the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Future of the Internet Economy.

• Joseph H. ALHADEFF, Vice President for Global Public Policy and Chief Privacy Officer, Oracle Corporation (United States), Chair of BIAC's Information, Computer and Communication (OECD-ICCP) Committee, Vice Chair of ICC's Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecom
• Anne CARBLANC, Principal Administrator in the Information Computer and Communications Policy Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Eddan KATZ, International Affairs Director, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
• Kristina IRION, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Policy, Central European University (CEU), Budapest, Hungary
• Gus HOSEIN, Senior Fellow, Privacy International

Moderator: Katitza Rodríguez Pereda, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), EPIC International Privacy Project Director. Katitza is also a DiploFoundation Associate (Peru)

Katitza Rodríguez Pereda,  Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), EPIC International Privacy Project Director. Katitza is also a DiploFoundation Associate (Peru).

Kristina Irion, Center for Media and Communications Studies (CMCS), Central European University (CEU), Budapest, Hungary 

The criteria used for the speakers selection is based on the high level of expertise of the subject matter, their involvement on the discussions of privacy at the International and regional level (i.e the OECD Ministerial Meeting of the Future of the Internet Economy and/or OECD - ICCP Meetings, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, The Data Protection Commissioner Meetings, the Iberoamerican Data Protection Network, the International Working Group on Data Protection on Telecommunications). It takes into account a gender and regional balance and a multi-stakeholder approach.

Our proposal includes also new participants who wants to get involve in the IGF process. We guarantee the high level of expertise and quality of the workshop.

The topics itself implies the participation of multi-stakeholder and diverse group of people both panelists and audience.