The Threat of an Online Privacy Bill

Advertising and media executives are worried about the threat an online privacy bill, or any similar federal regulation, could pose to their businesses. One proviso they fear would mandate that Web surfers "opt in" before companies could track their online behavior across multiple sites with what are known as third-party cookies—a cookie being the morsel of computer code that sites can affix to your PC to gather data on your habits. A better understanding of surfers' online likes and dislikes enables the deployment of better-targeted ads, which win Web companies higher ad rates. Without these ads, one wonders, what's online got? A bill hasn't been introduced yet, although high-profile congressional hearings were held in mid-June. And, obviously, one cannot describe the contours of a law that hasn't yet made it through the legislative digestive process. Still, high-profile executives expect privacy concerns will persist.