Back in January, the FTC announced that it would hold a workshop to examin the use of mobile payments in the marketplace and the effects on consumers.   As promised, the workshop has been scheduled for April 26th, with a link to the agenda .

According to the FTC, the workshop will gather consumer advocates, industry members, government representatives, technologists, and academics to discuss the opportunities and challenges that mobile payments pose for businesses and consumers.  The morning will kick off with an introduction to mobile payment technologies.  Next on the agenda:  a survey of the legal landscape and existing mechanisms for resolving disputes.

Panelists  will explore a series of questions relating to the security and privacy implications of mobile payments, such as:  What steps are being taken to ensure that consumers’ financial information is stored and transmitted securely?  When someone uses a mobile payment service, what information is collected, by whom, and for what purpose?  How does this compare to existing mechanisms for making payments?

Attendees will also hear a presentation from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and panels will feature international participants.

Throughout the day, the conversation will go global.  To learn from other countries’ experiences, panels will feature international participants and attendees will hear a presentation from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The workshop will be held at the FTC’s Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C. and is free and open to the public.