AOL members' privacy would be jeopardized by opening its lines now, before a global standard with adequate security is agreed upon, she said. She said the letter was released Thursday because that was the date set by an industry working group to come forward with proposals. It is not AOL's job to come up with a timeframe for implementing a global standard, she said. Competitors have argued that instant messages, like e-mail, should flow freely between online services for all to use, and that AOL's attitude violates the spirit of the Internet. Messaging services usually feature a ''buddy list'' that lets users know when friends or associates are logged onto the Internet.
Messages appear in a box on a user's screen.
AOL's stance on instant messaging has been raised at both the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission in connection with AOL's proposed purchase of Time Warner. Competitors in the instant messaging industry have asked regulators to look into the matter as they decide whether to approve the massive merger. FCC officials said they are collecting information on the instant message matter. Lawmakers also raised the matter at hearings on the merger earlier this year. Copyright 2000 Associated Press .