Consumer Groups Call For Greater Online Privacy
Posted on: Wednesday, 2 September 2009, 09:15 CDT
Consumer advocate and privacy groups are pushing for Congress to take new steps to ensure public privacy is upheld by protecting against advertisers’ ability to track consumers’ online behavior.
The ten-group coalition includes groups such as Electronic Frontier Foundation, Consumers Union and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
The coalition issued a letter to lawmakers asking them to create a better set of safeguards to protect against the secret compilation and tracking of Web users’ online behavior for the purposes of creating tailored advertisements.
"Developments in the digital age urgently require the application of Fair Information Practices to new business practices," the groups said in the letter.
"Today, electronic information from consumers is collected, compiled, and sold; all done without reasonable safeguards."
The groups have called on Congress to apply the Fair Information Practices of collection limitation, data quality, purpose specification, use limitation, security safeguards, openness, individual participation, and accountability to protect consumers.
According to the New York Times, the group is asking that no sensitive information be kept for behavioral tracking, that no one under the age of 18 should be tracked, and that Web sites and ad firms should not be able to hold any personal information or behavioral data from an individual without their express consent.
"Tracking people’s every move online is an invasion of privacy. Online behavioral tracking is even more distressing when consumers aren’t aware who is tracking them, that it’s happening, or how the information will be used," the coalition said in a statement.
“Often consumers are not asked for their consent and have no meaningful control over the collection and use of their information, often by third parties with which they have no relationships.”
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Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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