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Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security Nomination of Jad Duwaik The number of permission e-mail advertisements is expected to increase from 3 billion in 1997 to over 250 billion by 2003. Due to the stigma of "spam," or unsolicited e-mail, permission e-mail advertisers are required to obtain consumer consent before sending commercial e-mail. This consent generally follows the first and second principles outlined by the FTC's fair information practices. In order to increase the relevancy of these e-mails, additional personal data is being requested from Internet users. This information is typically submitted weeks, months, or even years before the information is utilized in an e-mail. Consequently, users may forget the data they have voluntarily submitted and the extent of profile data to which the company may have access. Fortunately, successful e-mail advertisers such as PostMasterDirect and YesMail are finding their business interests served by adhering to the third principle, access and participation. In each e-mail sent to a consumer, these advertisers provide an opportunity for consumers to access, and update, their profile. This helps increase relevancy and, therefore, effectiveness. As the Editor-in-Chief of OptInk, an e-mail newsletter focused on the permission marketing industry, and Chairman of the OptInk Permission Marketing Guideline Committee, which will set guidelines for permission marketers, Mr. Duwaik will provide a valuable perspective about privacy practices in the e-mail marketing industry. Biography of Jad Duwaik Mr. Duwaik is the founder and CEO of OptInk, a weekly e-mail newsletter covering the opt-in e-mail marketing industry. OptInk provides information to advertisers and Web sites about how to conduct e-mail advertising campaigns using consumer permission in order to avoid being interpreted as "spam," or unsolicited e-mail. In late December, OptInk began to assemble a Permission Marketing Guideline Committee for the opt-in e-mail marketing industry. This Committee will establish self-regulation standards for e-mail marketers and has attracted interest from representatives of Avenue A, Mastercard, Acxiom DirectMedia, MessageMedia, Worldata & Webconnect, and Exactis. In 1998, Mr. Duwaik founded InterOmni, a pioneer in the infomediary market (as coined by the author of NetWorth, John Hagel). InterOmni was developing personal data management software for the individual (to track usage of cable TV, telephone, and data on the Internet) before Lumeria announced its intention to acquire the company in the spring of 1999. Mr. Duwaik authored a white paper for Lumeria that described a personal data management system that would comply with, and even exceed, the FTC's fair information practice principles. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Duwaik was the founder and president of Planet Internet Corp., a local Internet Service Provider in Denver, Colorado. Planet Internet was a subsidiary of publicly-held TV Communications Network, Inc. (OTCBB:TVCN) before it was sold to BeWell.Net, a regional Internet Service Provider, for over $1.5 million. Due to Planet Internet's intention of becoming a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier ("CLEC") and TVCN's ownership of wireless MMDS frequencies, Mr. Duwaik is familiar with the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and related Federal Communications Commission regulations. Mr. Duwaik received a B.S. in Mathematics/Economics, a B.A. in English Literature, and a minor in Accounting from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Jad Duwaik |