This forum provides an opportunity to look at expectations and attitudes about privacy from a consumer's point of view.

I understand that online advertising is big business.

The bottom line is that consumers want and expect privacy.

Many in the Internet tracking industry argue that steps to empower consumers to decide for themselves whether they want to allow tracking of their online activity will kill free Internet content. I, for one, do not buy this argument.

Social networking sites like Facebook have made it possible for Internet users to share the details of their lives.

Mr. Butterfield actually mentioned earlier that the online behavioral advertising industry in this year alone represents a $30 billion economy, and that is growing.

Children's health and well-being are paramount. I think we can all agree on that.

opening statement

Let me thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this very important hearing today and particularly we thank the witnesses for their testimony.

IRIS, as we all know, is the foundation of our public health and environmental policy and it should be reviewed periodically to ensure it is being carried out at peak performance.

I believe to properly evaluate IRIS's performance, we must have absolute clarity on the function of IRIS.