Privacy Report Could Be Released This Week

The Commerce Department appears close to finally releasing its long-awaited final report outlining the Obama Administration's position on consumer privacy online. The report is likely to be released as soon as Feb 23.

While the report apparently has been completed for weeks, the agency has been trying to line up some big-name support to help release it, possibly Vice President Joe Biden. The report is not expected to include any major differences from the draft report the department released in December 2010. It is, however, likely to include the Administration's previous calls for Congress to pass legislation calling for a "privacy bill of rights" that would establish basic privacy protections for consumers. Politico reports that major stakeholders in the online privacy debate are being invited to the White House on Thursday for an event about the Administration’s next steps.