Cyber Security Institute

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Tech Giants Form Consumer Privacy Rights Forum

The Legislative Forum makes it clear that the national standard it envisions would preempt state laws.  For that reason, “a robust framework is warranted,” it said.  Some privacy advocates worry that preemption of state laws might constitute an end-run around the more stringent—and to many companies, quite onerous—privacy protections that are already in place.  A group of high-tech companies including Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, eBay, Google, Sun Microsystems, HP and Symantec have formed the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum with the goal of promoting the adoption of a nationwide privacy law.  The Legislative Forum advocates legislation that would protect consumers “from inappropriate collection and misuse of their personal information, and also enable legitimate businesses to use information to promote economic and social value,” it said in a statement.

The Legislative Forum makes it clear that the national standard it envisions would preempt state laws.  For that reason, “a robust framework is warranted,” it said.

Some privacy advocates worry that preemption of state laws might constitute an end-run around the more stringent—and to many companies, quite onerous—privacy protections that are already in place in states such as California.  Now, the few pieces from California’s original legislation that were allowed to go into effect—the ability of consumers to request a credit freeze for example—are in danger of being replaced with far weaker national legislation currently under consideration.

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/51272.html