On August 3, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released two items in connection with its series of events on the implications of FinTech for consumers. First, the FTC announced it will be hosting the next event in the FinTech Forum series on October 26, 2016. The event will address crowdfunding and peer-to-peer payments. Second, the FTC posted some key takeaways on its Business Blog from the first event in this FinTech Forum series, held on June 9, 2016, which addressed marketplace lending.

The FTC’s announcement regarding the October 2016 FinTech Forum describes the event as being “designed to bring together perspectives from across the landscape”—specifically, the perspectives of industry participants, consumer groups, researchers, and government representatives. The half-day forum will include separate panels exploring the “growing sectors” of crowdfunding and peer-to-peer payments individually, including the different models of crowdfunding and peer-to-peer payments that FinTech companies may employ, as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of these models for consumers. Just as the FTC did in its forum on marketplace lending, the forum on crowdfunding and peer-to-peer payments will address the applicability of existing consumer protection laws, particularly the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair or deceptive acts or practices (UDAP).