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Senator Prevents Action on Online Privacy Bill

Posted by michael on from the sabot-in-the-gears dept.

securitas writes "The NYTimes tells us Senator Trent Lott forced the Senate Commerce Committee to adjourn this morning as it was on the verge of adopting an online privacy bill requiring ISPs and commercial Web sites to get customers' permission before they could disclose important personal information. That would include financial, medical, ethnic, religious and political information along with Social Security data and sexual orientation. I urge Trent Lott's constituents to make your voices heard on this. Same goes for readers whose senators serve on the Senate Commerce Committee." Salon and EPIC have written about Hollings' bill.

2 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. The important part... by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The salon article:

    Likewise with the Online Personal Privacy Act. It is masquerading as pro-consumer when in fact it is pro-business. The new legislation is similar to laws passed in Europe that divide your personal information into two types. The first is "sensitive" information, such as your financial and medical history, race, lifestyle, religion, political affiliation, and sex life. The second is "nonsensitive" information, and among that will include your name, address, and records of anything you buy or surf on the Internet. Under the act, business can't collect or divulge the sensitive bits without your express consent, but anything classified as nonsensitive can be freely collected and sold at will.

    I guess anything that Hollings touches is evil.

  2. Good, we should be glad it is defeated. by nuggz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Read the bill, or at least the comments WHY he shut it down.

    I think that it shouldn't happen. This bill legalizes sharing of much personal information WITHOUT authorization.
    It also legitimizes those constantly changing TOS that "by continuing to use the service you agree to"

    This is NOT a personal privacy bill, this in an anti privacy bill.

    Disagree with me if you want, but at least see what the bill and issues are BEFORE you go off half cocked complaining about this.

    The Senator from Disney is sponsoring this bill, which many others have pointed out.