| Dov Smith Director of Public Relations Zero-Knowledge Systems, Inc. 800 de Maisonneuve East, Suite 700 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4L8 Tel 514.287.7447 x 248 Fax 514.287.0967 dov@zeroknowledge.com January 5, 2000 Secretary, Federal Trade Commission Re: Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security -- Nomination, P004807 Dear Mr. Secretary: I would like to nominate Mr. Austin Hill to the Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security. Mr. Hill serves as president of Zero-Knowledge Systems, which develops technologies that enhance the privacy and security of Internet users. The company's goal is to empower Internet users to manage their privacy and personal information in the digital realm. A private company, Zero-Knowledge was founded in 1997 and currently employs 125. The company has taken a leading role in urging corporations and governments to adopt a socially responsible approach that aligns their agendas with the privacy and security concerns of Internet users. In December 1999, Zero-Knowledge released its Freedom ä Internet privacy technology, which empowers users to achieve full Internet functionality without unintentionally disclosing personal information. Freedom links users' activities to persistent, untraceable digital identities rather than users' true identities, and encrypts and routes data packets through a globally distributed network of servers hosted by ISPs and independent server operators.Mr. Hill is a frequent lecturer on privacy and security. He has spoken at international venues including COMDEX, Internet World, ISPCON and the 21st International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection. An authority on privacy-related legislative and policy issues, he recently participated in the Federal Trade Commission's Public Workshop on Children's Online Privacy Protection, and subsequently the FTC's Public Workshop on Online Profiling. Mr. Hill has been quoted regarding online privacy issues in leading media including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN and Time magazine. Prior to co-founding Zero-Knowledge Systems, Mr. Hill was co-founder of TotalNet, one of Canada's most successful Internet companies. To briefly summarize our views: We believe consumer privacy and security represent the most serious and challenging issues facing the Internet today. In addressing this issue now, it is essential to propose effective measures that will balance the rights and concerns of various groups within society, while exercising the utmost care to must protect the millions of consumers who are venturing online. We believe that depending upon the amount of personal information exchanged, Internet users should have access to a mix of legal, technological and industry standards to protect their privacy and security. Mr. Hill is available to attend the advisory committee meetings on the dates listed in the Federal Register. Furthermore, Zero-Knowledge Systems will soon announce the appointment of a Chief Privacy Officer who can attend these meetings on behalf of Zero-Knowledge. This individual is a leading authority on privacy and encryption, and has been involved for many years in formulating legislation, policy and industry standards related to these issues. I would be pleased to provide additional information, including supporting documentation and references. Sincerely, Dov Smith |