For efficient personal data protections, cooperation between private sector's voluntary rules and governmental initiatives are required. ECOM has established guidelines for protecting personal information that take into account technical progress and the special characteristics of electronic commerce. These guidelines give full consideration to the eight principles, as you know, OECD laid down in 1980. The following are some of the most significant characteristics of electronic commerce. More personal information is available on the Internet than in the past.
Information accessed is linked to personal information.
Electronic information can be tampered with or altered. Relevant points relating to the guidelines include the following. We have drawn up clear and detailed guidelines that assume that businesses are not familiar with handling personal information and include virtual companies and individuals. Technology must be developed that allows safe exchange of information. The collection, use or provision of delicate personal information concerning race, ethnicity or religion is prohibited unless the person involved gives explicit consent.