A further use of the Fair Information Principles is in the development of formal industry standards. Canada has taken the lead worldwide in the formation of a voluntary, national standard which can be adopted on a company-specific or industry basis. The CSA Code has not yet been codified into federal law, although the Canadian Direct Marketing Association has proposed that such legislation be introduced. Industry Canada, the equivalent of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is working with the Justice Department to develop legislation based on the CSA Code. Industry Canada touts several benefits of the standards approach.
Consumers have a standard against which to judge how their personal information is being treated.
The Code puts mechanisms in place for challenging compliance. Industry is willing and able to work with rules that are clear, comprehensible, and uniformly applied. The 1973 Fair Information Principles of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The 1980 OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data. The 1994 Fair Information Principles adopted by the San Diego City Council as part of its Telecommunications Policy.