Standardize Internet Privacy Policy

This in interesting and worth watching from FoxNews :

Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other high-tech companies are preparing to push for data-privacy legislation next year to replace what they consider an outdated patchwork of state and federal laws that are inconsistent and burdensome.

Where I think it is a good idea to have one standard federal internet privacy policy, that enables the free flow of information, consumers need to be very careful about how much influence corpoarate giants like Microsoft and Walmart have over this type of legislation, since their goals are not going to be the same as the individual and consumers whose information they want to flow freely.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a consumer advocacy group, said the proposals, if adopted, would amount to an industry drafting its own regulations.

Rotenberg also argued that the notices to consumers preferred by Microsoft and other companies are insufficient to protect online privacy.