Recap: Consumer Online Privacy Hearing

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on online privacy.

Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said, "The consumer I am concerned about is not a savvy computer whiz-kid. I am not talking about a lawyer who reads legalese for a living and can delve into the fine print of what privacy protections he or she is getting. I am talking about ordinary Internet users. I am talking about a 55-year-old coal miner in West Virginia who sends an email to his son in college. I'm talking about a 30-year-old mother who uses her broadband connection to research the best doctor she can take her sick toddler to see. I'm talking about a 65-year-old man who just signed up for a Facebook account so he can view photos of his grandson, and reconnect with old friends. We have a duty to ask whether these people - and the millions of Americans just like them - fully understand and appreciate what information is being collected about them, and whether or not they are empowered to stop certain practices from taking place." Chairman Rockefeller also questioned a Google representative on what Google's economic success has to do with whether the company is keeping users' data sufficiently private.

The Federal Trade Commission is considering proposing a do-not-track mechanism that would allow consumers to easily opt out of all behavioral targeting, chairman Jon Leibowitz told lawmakers. Testifying at a hearing about online privacy, Leibowitz said the FTC is exploring the feasibility of a browser plug-in that would store users' targeting preferences. He added that either the FTC or a private group could run the system. Chairman Leibowitz said that while Web users on a no-tracking list would still receive online ads, those ads wouldn't be targeted based on sites that users had visited in the past.

Sen John Kerry (D-MA), chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, said that he will introduce an online privacy bill that will create standards for how consumer data is collected and used for marketing. It will also give users more control over how their Internet activity and profiles are accessed by advertisers and Web sites. He said he hopes his bill will be passed at the beginning of the next Congress.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "The right to privacy is central to our nation's values and way of life, and the Federal Communications Commission has long worked to implement Congress's directive to protect the privacy of consumers who rely on our nation's communications infrastructure. The Commission also recognizes that privacy has more than intrinsic value: it is critical for promoting investment, innovation, and adoption of cutting edge communications technologies and services that bolster our economy, promote our global competitiveness, and improve our daily lives. When consumers fear that their privacy is at risk, they are less likely to use new means of communication."