In The Spotlight IT advocates seek to reconcile industry, government efforts. The past few months have seen Federal Trade Commission reports, a bevy of federal bills and considerable activity at the state government level. In August, the Pew Internet and American Life Project reported 86 percent of the Internet users who the organization surveyed are concerned about businesses or people they don't know getting personal in formation about them.
Privacy is a double-edged issue for the industry.
On the one hand, online privacy protection is important for maintaining consumer confidence in e-commerce. Industry groups, therefore, tend to view self-regulation as the way to go. Industry organizations, such as the Computing Technology Industry Association, are closely tracking developments. Tom Santaniello, public-policy manager at CompTIA, says Congress must take the time to carefully think through an online privacy policy. The Hill has to come to grips with such essential issues as what types of consumer information need to be protected and how.