May, 2002 : NetCoalition Opposes Online Personal Privacy Act
📅 - NetCoalition (netcoalition.com), a public policy alliance of Internet companies, announced on Wednesday that it has sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, opposing the passage of S.2201, the Online Personal Privacy Act.
?We share the sponsors? interest in protecting consumer privacy, and we appreciate the considerable difficulties involved in drafting comprehensive legislation,? says executive director Kevin McGuiness. ?Unfortunately, the proposed remedy is far worse than the problem the bill is designed to cure.?
According to NetCoalition, the S.2201 act, as drafted, would mandate the collection, combination and permanent retention of more personally identifiable information than occurs today. The bill would force online businesses to create a personal dossier on individuals who visit their sites, even in instances where no personally identifiable information is shared, stored or disclosed to a third party. The companies say no comparable requirement is imposed on the offline competitors of these companies.
The bill, says NetCoalition, would cause online businesses to disrupt even the most routine use of the Internet. Because of overlapping requirements, the legislation might require privacy notices to be given every time a user engages in even simple online activities such as checking a sports score, a weather report or a movie time. The coalition says the bill may also jeopardize the ability of online companies to use advertising revenue to support their sites and provide online services for free.
?The members of NetCoalition are committed to ensuring the privacy and security of our users,? says McGuiness. ?Regrettably, the bill may result in a greater loss of personal privacy, an Internet where ordinary use is constantly interrupted with unwanted and lengthy notices, and the elimination of online services that are currently provided for free.?
NetCoalition serves as the public policy voice of a number of Internet companies, allowing industry leaders, policymakers and the public to engage directly. Including such members as AOL Time Warner, DoubleClick, Inktomi, Lycos, Verio and Yahoo!, the coalition says it has helped ensure the integrity, usefulness and continued expansion of the medium.
?We share the sponsors? interest in protecting consumer privacy, and we appreciate the considerable difficulties involved in drafting comprehensive legislation,? says executive director Kevin McGuiness. ?Unfortunately, the proposed remedy is far worse than the problem the bill is designed to cure.?
According to NetCoalition, the S.2201 act, as drafted, would mandate the collection, combination and permanent retention of more personally identifiable information than occurs today. The bill would force online businesses to create a personal dossier on individuals who visit their sites, even in instances where no personally identifiable information is shared, stored or disclosed to a third party. The companies say no comparable requirement is imposed on the offline competitors of these companies.
The bill, says NetCoalition, would cause online businesses to disrupt even the most routine use of the Internet. Because of overlapping requirements, the legislation might require privacy notices to be given every time a user engages in even simple online activities such as checking a sports score, a weather report or a movie time. The coalition says the bill may also jeopardize the ability of online companies to use advertising revenue to support their sites and provide online services for free.
?The members of NetCoalition are committed to ensuring the privacy and security of our users,? says McGuiness. ?Regrettably, the bill may result in a greater loss of personal privacy, an Internet where ordinary use is constantly interrupted with unwanted and lengthy notices, and the elimination of online services that are currently provided for free.?
NetCoalition serves as the public policy voice of a number of Internet companies, allowing industry leaders, policymakers and the public to engage directly. Including such members as AOL Time Warner, DoubleClick, Inktomi, Lycos, Verio and Yahoo!, the coalition says it has helped ensure the integrity, usefulness and continued expansion of the medium.
Reads: 1986 | Category: General | Source: TheWHIR : Web Host Industry Reviews
URL source: http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/net051602.cfm
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