May 4, 2010

Congress Proposes Sweeping Internet Privacy Bill

by Mathew Ingram
Gigaom/CNN

If a new online privacy bill proposed today by two U.S. senators becomes law, web surfers could find themselves confronted with a growing swarm of disclosure notices, opt-in requests and user information licenses whenever they try to use websites and services that employ online advertising. The draft bill’s chief proponent — Rick Boucher, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet — said it’s designed to strike a middle ground between privacy protection and the need for online companies to benefit from interactive and targeted advertising. But if the reaction by consumer groups is any indication, the two sides are still light-years apart.

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