Boucher, Stearns Working On Online Privacy Bill

House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) and ranking Member Cliff Stearns (R-FL) are working on a bill that will "assure a higher level of [online] privacy protection" for online surfers, by establishing an opt-in model for collecting Web surfing information for marketing purposes. The goal is actually to expand electronic commerce dramatically, which he thinks will happen if "American consumers of products and services using the Internet as a delivery platform can be assured of a higher level of privacy with respect to their personal information."