Google case illustrates need for online bill of rights

[Commentary] If Congress and the president won’t take up the pressing need for an online consumer bill of rights, the California Legislature should. Lawmakers have to provide a road map for striking a proper balance between the public’s right to information and individuals’ right to privacy. Ideally, the laws would foster free expression but also provide privacy for individuals and businesses where it is merited. (And yes, ‘merit’ is the concept to be defined.) The lack of a legal guide leaves Silicon Valley giants like Google and Facebook struggling to deal with a legal quagmire. The United States needs to join other advanced nations and establish an online consumer bill of rights. It will help the courts, the tech industry and individuals struggling to make sense of challenges unimaginable in the day of Thomas Jefferson.