AFFIRMATIVE-CONSUMER/INTERNET-SOLVENCY 375

PUBLIC WILL SUPPORT PRIVACY PROTECTION PLANS

PUBLIC OPINION IS STRONGLY WITH INTERNET PRIVACY PROTECTION

Jennifer M. Granholm, attorney general of Michigan, The Detroit News March 8, 2000, SECTION: Editorial Page; Pg. 14 TITLE: Online privacy is worth state's protection // acs-VT2001

In fact, protecting personal privacy is among the chief concerns of those watching the Internet marketplace develop. Ninety-five percent of The News' own readership agrees that privacy is a key value for the Internet. Government officials and high-tech businesses around the world are engaged in a healthy and complex debate concerning privacy issues. The United States Department of Commerce and the European Union are working diligently to address privacy to facilitate world trade. In fact, even DoubleClick itself admitted last week that its plan to merge private, personal information with anonymous information gathered online was "wrong."

CONSUMERS WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT DAMAGE TO PRIVACY WITHOUT STRONGER PRIVACY LAWS

The Seattle Times, March 29, 1999, SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. B4 TITLE: A FLEETING OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSUMER PRIVACY Web // acs-EE2001

New computer technology gives marketing people astonishing new tools to gather data and create highly detailed portraits of consumers. Without stronger privacy laws, consumers have no way of knowing how and when information is gathered and how it is used. It's a huge issue for new Internet companies, as well as old giants, such as banks, that are being transformed.