Consumers should also be able to limit use of their data and have some redress when the information is improperly used, the group said. Privacy protections should be accorded independent enforcement and oversight. At the same time, local, state, and federal governments should promote technologies that limit the collection of personal information. And there should be legal restrictions on surveillance technologies, such as those used for location tracking, video surveillance, electronic profiling, and workplace monitoring. Privacy from government and privacy in the private sector are very different things, said Jim Harper, operator of Privacilla.org.
Government is the biggest threat to privacy.
Privacilla.org, which supports a market and technology solution, lists numerous threats to privacy from government surveillance, databases, and regulations. Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have said they expect privacy legislation to pass this year. The legislation would restrict a website from collecting personal information from users without informing them of what's collected and how it will be used. The site would also have to give users the chance to limit use of their information.