Final Report Of The Federal Trade Commission Advisory Committee On Online Access And Security

The 3rd Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report to Congress examining the state of online privacy & the efficacy of industry self-regulation. It presents the results of the FTC's 2000 Online Privacy Survey, which reviewed the nature & substance of U.S. commercial Web sites' privacy disclosures, & assesses the effectiveness of self-regulation. The report also considers the recommendations of the FTC-appointed Advisory Committee on Online Access & Security. Finally, it sets forth the Commission's conclusion that legislation is necessary to ensure further implementation of fair information practices online & recommends the framework for such legislation.

Analysing the legal issues concerning online and Internet privacy, this book covers the historical developments leading to the current state of the law and the relevant legal actions that have helped to shape it. Examined are the leading lawsuits that have asserted invasion of privacy on the Internet, the comparison of the state of the law in the United States with that of its principal trading partners around the world, and enforcement activity by the Federal Trade Commission. Also covered are proposals for new legislation and precedents for drafting a privacy policy that conforms to standards required by United States and international law.

Hon. Orrin G. Hatch United States Senate Electronic commerce will be pivotal to the United States economy in the 21 SI Century. With the advent ofelectronic commerce, some consumers have become concerned about the disclosure, transfer, and sale of information which businesses have collected about them. These concerns purportedly are slowing the rate ofexpansion ofelectronic commerce, thereby putting at risk the future growth of the New Economy. To reduce this risk, a variety of schemes have been proposed under which the government would regulate online privacy. Congress currently is in the midst ofa vigorous debate as to whether the government should regulate on-line privacy standards, and, ifso, what form such regulation should take. This succinct yet powerful book by Paul Rubin and Thomas Lenard goes to the heart of these issues. It explains that there is no evidence of actual consumer harm or market failure that could justify burdensome government regulation of online privacy. It describes the tremendous advantages consumers currently receive from the free flow of information collected on line, advantages which could be eliminated if the government unnecessarily regulates and stops this flow of information. It argues that the free market provides businesses with compelling incentives to adopt their own measures - such as seal programs and novel technologies - to assuage consumer privacy concerns. This book presents compelling evidence to support these and many other points central to the continuing debate in the halls of Congress and elsewhere concerningonline privacy.