An online privacy proposal was submitted by the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday. A key tenet of the FTC proposal is a "do-not-track" requirement for the internet industry. To prevent data about a private individual’s web habits from being sold without their knowledge to 3rd party websites, a do-not-track option is one of many approaches recommended by the FTC. Post resource – FTC strongly suggests do-not-track option in online privacy plan by Money Blog Newz.
Internet privacy ant the FTC solution
The FTC is proposing a system called do-not-track, and is asking for the public's input until the 31 of January. FTC Chairman, Jon Leibowitz, is hoping that businesses will follow these guidelines on their own because it is something the FTC does not have the authority to enforce. The FTC said that consumers bear most of the burden for online privacy protection and more policies have to be in place to help them make informed choices. The FTC is searching for public input on how to best implement this system and the way it should be used.
Measures in place right now for a do-not-track option
The FTC is trying to one up the current do-not-track systems to make a universal and widely used method. Microsoft introduced the “InPrivate Browsing” setting with Internet Explorer 8. Firefox offers a “Private Browsing” setting and Google Chrome features private browsing in “Incognito” mode. However, widely used technologies such as Adobe’s “Flash cookies,” although not intended specifically for tracking, are being collected by 3rd parties to use for targeted advertising. Facebook has additionally been pushing privacy limits by offering members’ personal information to 3rd party sites.
FTC trying to safeguard people
The FTC online privacy proposal can be interpreted as a warning to Internet companies to clean up their privacy acts sooner instead of later or the government will do it for them. The FTC might suggest some form of standard be mandatory if this problem can't be fixed by the companies according to Leibowitz. The internet is a “deeply disturbing shopping mall” where each and every move you make is recorded. At least that is how legislators felt at a conference on internet privacy earlier this year.
Information from
ZDnet
zdnet.com/blog/btl/ftc-calls-for-do-not-track-list-new-policies-to-protect-online-privacy/42278
PC World
pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373681,00.asp
Ars Technica
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/07/congress-ponders-privacy-of-your-underwear-immortal-soul.ars
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