I think there is a great deal we can do under existing laws to protect consumer privacy

Timothy Muris, FTC chairman

In a report to Congress last year, the FTC recommended by a 3-2 vote that Congress draft new laws to give consumers greater privacy protections.

Mr Muris is a Republican who was appointed to head up the FTC by President George W Bush.

"I think there is a great deal we can do under existing laws to protect consumer privacy," said Mr Muris, in a speech at a privacy conference in the US. "That is what this privacy agenda is all about. At this time, we need more law enforcement, not more laws.

"We will enforce current laws vigorously, using more of the FTC's resources. We will use our full arsenal of tools to pursue our strong pro-privacy agenda addressing real privacy concerns," he stressed.

Stopping spam

His comments follow four months of consultations with consumer groups, businesses, academics and trade associations.

From now on, said Mr Muris, privacy would become a central part of the FTC's consumer protection mission.

Among the measures announced is an initiative to cut down on junk e-mail by creating a national "do-not-call" list of people who wish to avoid such spam.

"It is the bane of cyberspace. Fraudulent spammers ... promote shifty schemes like chain letters, pyramid schemes, and other forms of deceptive, 'get-rich-quick' frauds," said Mr Muris.

Although the FTC does not have the power to make laws, only to enforce them, its stance will influence policy-makers.

Support for privacy laws has also been undermined by the 11 September attacks. Against the background of the war on terror and the position of the FTC, experts say any privacy bill is unlikely to clear Congress.