RSSTech Firms Call for Privacy Legislation
By Ed Oswald | Published June 21, 2006, 11:42 AM
Twelve companies joined forces Tuesday to call on legislatures to consider comprehensive consumer privacy legislation. In addition, eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Hewlett-Packard Chief Privacy Officer Scott Taylor also testified on Capitol Hill saying action was needed to "unify today's crazy quilt of laws."
While they do not support consumers gaining the right to sue companies for violations of privacy statutes, the companies are advocating a central agency with the power take action if companies are lax in protecting the privacy of their customers.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the group said that such "legislation should provide protection for consumers from inappropriate collection and misuse of their personal information and also enable legitimate businesses to use information to promote economic and social value."
Eight tech companies, including eBay, Google, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun and Symantec signed off on the statement. All are members of the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, a group formed last winter to lobby for privacy legislation.
While most legislatures seemed receptive to the CPL Forum's calls, some questioned the need for new beauracracy. Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that consumers should still have the right to privately sue companies for misuse of private information.
He said he planned to introduce such legislation before the end of this congressional term.
I recently visited a web page doing investigative work on an old American Car Magazine to find out who owned it. To my surprise, it's owned by a group of Asians. I wondered why American Cars were not selling as well as imports. Duh...Overseas Asians own half of American Magazines...DUH ! Foolish Americans !
My privacy was invaded by just looking at their web page....I received 2 junk mails at my home address in Michigan 2 weeks later to buy subscriptions to 2 of their magazines. I never entered any information to their web site, but they got all they needed to Spam me through the U.S. Mail. How that for invasion of privacy? Trusted Computing my butt! I use Windows XP... :( ......I sure would like to sue someone!
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|"Privacy Legislation" is an oximoron. Will never happen--at least not in a way that will ensure the "privacy" those CNN loonies are referring to. Chapter 11? I have a very strong opinion here, so I will give the official warning:
Warning: The following is bourgeoisdude's opinion and does not indicate that there should be any uprising or revolt to have it changed. Extreme opinions are just that--extreme, and therefore would be impossible to feasibly implement the changes required.
I believe the Constitution is fundamentally flawed in two areas--primarily in the vagueness of the free speech issue, put also regarding the concept of having "debtor's prisons". They will work great for those bas****s who hit you going 80MPH from behind and have no insurance and not one dime to spare. Those government leeches should be beaten, but in shackles, and should work their a$$es off until they can make enough money to afford two cars to replace mine that they totaled, and only then should they be released.
I bet you're glad I'm not king :D
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|no i kind of wish you were. haha
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|thats absolute BS, the consumer should 100% have the right to sue the company over loss of privacy, and on top of that they should not be able to declare bankrupcy(sp?) if they get sued too much, its their own damn fault and they should be haeld accountable.
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|I totally agree. What happens if a company has a disclaimer saying that the information you provide will be private then they decide to give it away? So there is nothing that the consumer can do? I didn't realize that is was like that. That's crazy!
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