Online Privacy Advocates Say Proposed Legislation Is Insufficent

December 12, 2006

Several leading tech companies, including Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, are preparing a push for data-privacy legislation in the next Congress.

Organized as the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, these companies likely will throw their weight around legislation that would set standards for the type of notices that must be given to online consumers about personal info collected from them and how that info will be used.

Although that initiative might sound good for Internet users, tje Electronic Privacy Information Center os rather wary. In sentiments paraphrased by AP reporter Christopher Rugaber, Electronic Privacy Information Center executive director Mark Rotenberg said that the proposals aren't strong enough. The EPIC prefers a statute that would ensure consumers access to the data the companies have on them, and offers consumers more control on how this data is used.