AFFIRMATIVE-CONSUMER/INTERNET-INHERENCY 369

VOLUNTARY PRIVACY POLICIES SHOW THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION

PRIVATE FIRMS HIDE BEHIND THEIR PRIVACY POLICIES, WHICH ARE INSUFFICIENT IN THE ABSENCE OF GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS

JOHN LABATE and PATTI WALDMEIR The Financial Times Limited Financial Times (London) January 29, 2000, SECTION: COMMENT & ANALYSIS; Pg. 15 TITLE: COMMENT & ANALYSIS: They know everything about you// acs-EE2001

But, says Marc Rotenberg, of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, companies too often simply hide behind privacy policies - which few consumers read - to disclaim all responsibility for privacy invasions.

Barry Steinhardt, of the American Civil Liberties Union, agrees. "The onus should be on the data collector to get your affirmative consent, in a knowing way. You shouldn't have to bargain for your privacy." He believes government should legislate privacy, and not leave it to the marketplace.

VOLUNTARY PRIVACY POLICIES ARE INADEQUATE, AND GOVERNMENT ACTION IS NEEDED

Heather Green, Business Week, February 14, 2000; Pg. 38 TITLE: PRIVACY: OUTRAGE ON THE WEB // acs-EE2001

But privacy policies can be deceptive, says privacy advocate Richard M. Smith, who has been documenting online privacy breaches (page 40). He has charged Amazon.com Inc. with gathering more personal information about customers than consumers would expect if they read its privacy policy. ''The more experience we all have with the inadequacy of these policies, the more sense there will be to enact some protections,'' says David Sobel, general counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.

VOLUNTARY PROTECTIONS FAIL, WE NEED FEDERAL INTERVENTION

Doug Bedell; KNIGHT RIDDER NEWS SERVICE, The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 28, 2000, SECTION: COMPUTER LINK;Pg. 4 TITLE: Surfer beware: Web privacy policies called inadequate // acs-VT2001

EPIC has made it clear that it believes privacy is not being adequately protected by voluntary methods.

Federal intervention, it says, may be required.

Now the Federal Trade Commission may be considering action.

"We believe that legally enforceable standards are necessary to ensure compliance with Fair Information Practices," EPIC said.

"And new techniques for anonymity are necessary to protect online privacy. Until such steps are taken, we have to repeat our advice for the third consecutive year: 'Surfer beware.' "