Sites are held accountable by current law to abide by their privacy policy. Despite the criticism that these organizations are not achieving ubiquity online, the large number of pending Web site applications indicate that both the compliance organizations and the applicant companies take the compliance process very seriously. Once again, newly empowered consumers fully understand that it is the best interest of any company to protect customer privacy, driving change in the market. For those companies that have chosen to ignore consumer preferences and not pursue proactive, responsive privacy practices, the market, through the collective actions of empowered, educated consumers, has a solution. But perhaps more importantly, current privacy law in this country also takes into consideration special types of information that deserve greater protection than shoe sizes and favorite hobbies.
States have flexibility in responding to their own constituents' preferences.
These laws apply to both online and offline collection and provide consumers protection for their most sensitive and personal information. Industry agrees that calls for privacy legislation are both premature and potentially damaging. Business models are evolving. The market is changing. Consumers are exercising their growing power, and companies are working to find new ways to educate consumers on ways to ensure that their power is effectively exercised to shape online privacy practices.