A coalition of 10 U.S. privacy and consumer groups has called for new federal privacy protections for Web users, including a requirement that Web sites and advertising networks get opt-in permission from individuals within 24 hours of collecting personal data and tracking online habits.
The groups, including the Center for Digital Democracy, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), want the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that would bar Web sites and online advertising networks from collecting sensitive data such as information about health, finances, race and sexual orientation.
In a broad set of new recommendations for privacy regulations released Tuesday, the groups also called on the U.S. Congress to prohibit Web sites and ad networks from collecting behavioral information about children under age 18, whenever it's possible to distinguish the age of the Web user, and to require that online businesses inform consumers about the purpose of the information collection.
"The basic idea is ... we want consumers to be able to take advantage of all the new technologies without having the technologies take advantage of the consumers," said Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum. "Right now, that balance is not there."
More: http://computerworld.com/s/article/9137389/
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The groups, including the Center for Digital Democracy, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), want the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that would bar Web sites and online advertising networks from collecting sensitive data such as information about health, finances, race and sexual orientation.
In a broad set of new recommendations for privacy regulations released Tuesday, the groups also called on the U.S. Congress to prohibit Web sites and ad networks from collecting behavioral information about children under age 18, whenever it's possible to distinguish the age of the Web user, and to require that online businesses inform consumers about the purpose of the information collection.
"The basic idea is ... we want consumers to be able to take advantage of all the new technologies without having the technologies take advantage of the consumers," said Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum. "Right now, that balance is not there."
More: http://computerworld.com/s/article/9137389/
