We don't have the incentive, the innovation or the resources. I don't think any government agency is capable. We can't solve the problem. Orson Swindle, FTC Commissioner, ZDNet News, August 22, 2000. New technology is giving businesses unprecedented opportunities to better understand consumer needs, and meet them with personalized information, services and products.
Privacy is a huge issue for consumers, particularly with respect to electronic commerce.
The more you respect customers' privacy and make people feel safe online, the more chance you have to build customer relationships. Elliott Maxwell, adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on the digital economy, ZDNet, May 8, 2000. Privacy is one of the things that can derail a customer relationship management project. Companies need to be very aware of the potential security problems that can arise and of the legal issues involved if they plan to sell or share customer data. Scott Nelson, Gartner Group Inc., eWEEK, July 24, 2000.