On privacy, Silicon Valley needs to step up

[Commentary] For online industry to thrive, consumers have to trust that their smartphones today and whatever cool things displace them tomorrow are private. Period.

The technology that accomplishes this will be snapped up by consumers around the world. To fail at this is to admit that the real tech geniuses these days reside in government cubicles in Washington. Asian and European companies will become more dominant, since American technology will be suspect. And it's not just privacy from government that's at issue. Consumers need the right to know how their personal information is being used by the companies themselves, which is something the tech giants have resisted. This may require regulation unless the industry decides to put on the white hat and fight for consumer privacy in all contexts, government and private. Without quite realizing it, we have become engaged in a new war. It's over privacy. Silicon Valley needs to face up to the challenge. Now. We're getting tired of changing our passwords.