According to Section 5 of the FTC Act, self-regulation primarily involves a company's right to adhere to its industry's code of conduct. Self-regulation is a process by which an industry or a group of companies voluntarily adopts and enforces standards or guidelines to protect consumers and promote fair competition.
The FTC encourages self-regulation as a way to complement its enforcement efforts and address emerging issues in the marketplace. The FTC also monitors self-regulatory programs and may take action against companies that fail to comply with their own codes of conduct or misrepresent their participation in such programs. References:
* Federal Trade Commission Act, Section 5 of
* Self-Regulation | Federal Trade Commission
* [IAPP CIPP/US Certified Information Privacy Professional Study Guide], Chapter 3, page 79