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Minnesota Passes First Online Privacy Law

Posted by timothy on from the talk-funny-think-straight dept.

Subotai writes: "Finally a state with a clue. Today, Minnesota passed a law forcing ISPs to notify customers before they sell information about them and tell them how to prevent it." Finally, a nice example of how a bill becomes a law.

2 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. Re:or not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    This is how taxes always work. You pay for a lot of stuff you don't want, need, use or care about.

  2. 3rd parties, and the 2nd part of the bill by teambpsi · · Score: 3, Informative

    As an ISP in Minnesota, I seriously wonder about the slippery slope of legalese like "joint-venture" which isn't technically a "third-party". Don't get me wrong, I'm a privacy freak, and QWEST deserves worse...

    The second part of the bill is frankly not feasible -- from a forced implementation standpoint:

    "A second part of the bill follows the lead of other states that have adopted rules to try to control unwanted e-mail. It would require companies sending unsolicited advertisements to include the letters "ADV" in the subject line of e-mails -- "ADV-ADULT" for material of a sexual nature -- to make it easier to filter out."

    And what mechanism is in place to:

    a. police it?
    b. enforce it?
    c. litigate it? and at who's expense?

    and lets talk jurisdiction here....or lets not ;)

    --

    Old age and treachery almost always overcome youth and skill.