Senators John Kerry (D) and John McCain (R) have proposed an internet privacy bill to the United States Senate that would seek to protect consumer information on the internet. The bill is backed by the Obama administration and a similar bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
The bill, if passed and enacted, would require companies like Facebook and Google to explain how they collect personal information from users, how and when they share such information, and will make it more difficult for targeting internet users by advertisers. The bill would require consumer consent before information about a user could be collected. The Federal Trade Commission, which would be in charge of enforcing the law if the bill is passed and enacted, had sought stronger restrictions and a “do not track” mechanism similar to the do not call registry. Though no private lawsuits would be permitted under the law, the FTC could fine companies up to $3 million for violating the law.
Senator McCain was quoted in today’s Washington Post as stating, “Consumers want to shop, browse and share information in an environment that is respectful of their personal information. Our legislation sets forth a framework for companies to create such an environment and allows businesses to continue to market and advertise to all consumers, including potential customers.”
While consumer advocates would prefer even stronger measures, this bill is a good start to providing much needed protection of personal information in the fast changing worlds of internet commerce and social media.
