Have you ever done a search for a product on Google then watch in amazement as that product shows up in ads on all the websites you visit? That is just one of the many ways sites like Google and Facebook use your personal information to sell to other companies or track your presence on the web and the sites you visit to make money.
Various Consumer advocacy groups have cried foul on these actions calling them intrusive, and apparently, the Obama administration agrees. The proposed bill calls for more protection of Consumers information and better control over how this information is used.
The proposal, unveiled Thursday, is designed to give consumers more control over how their personal data is used and to help businesses build trust with consumers. The White House has called on the Commerce Department to corral companies, privacy advocates and others to develop policies based on the plan. The White House also announced that Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL have agreed to submit to Do Not Track technology and provide consumers with a means to control their online privacy.
The proposed Bill of Rights deals with six areas of online data management:
Transparency: Companies policies regarding security should be easily understandable to consumers.
Respect for Context: Consumers should expect that companies will collect, use and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide such data.
Security: Personal data should be handled securely and responsibly. Access and Accuracy: Consumers should be able to access and correct personal data.
Access and Accuracy: Consumers should be able to access and correct personal data.
Focused Collection: Data collection should be held within “reasonable limits.”
Accountability: Consumers have the right to have their personal data handled by companies and organizations that adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.
