Obama's 'bill of rights' good start on Web privacy

[Commentary] The White House and California's attorney general are taking aim at a troubling topic: how to ensure consumer privacy on the Web while keeping an innovative industry thriving.

The first steps are partial but promising efforts to strike the right balance. One key issue worth watching in the privacy debate is the "Do Not Track" option. Tech firms such as Google, Mozilla and Microsoft favor giving users the opportunity to keep their online habits private via a Web page button. But the exact definition of tracking - and the lucrative ad revenues at stake - make it an elusive area to control completely. As President Obama noted in announcing his new policy, "We must reject the conclusion that privacy is an outmoded value." That's the right sentiment to voice at the start of a long process that aims to find firm answers.