Subject: draft-ietf-run-adverts-00.txt

From: Barbara Jennings <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 12:07:21 -0600

Strawman section on Privacy.  Comments welcome.

  -- Barbara

Why Web Privacy?

Directories, lists, or other collection sources of  personal data are
the current
informational 'gold rush' for marketing in the United States.  The U.S.
Constitution
contains no explicit guarantee of personal privacy.  Such a right, under
current
legislation stands little chance against electronic technologies. The
American public
has expressed concern regarding intrusion into their personal privacy.
Still the collection and sale of such information abounds.

Self regulation by businesses utilitizing the Internet is the first
choice of legislators,
commercial websites and Internet aficionados.  However, the profits to
be made
by selling personal information, and by using these lists for
advertisement purposes
often disuades self regulation.

Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Minority member of the Senate Judiciary
Committee states very succintly, why we should consider Internet
Privacy. "Good
privacy policies make good business policies. New technologies bring
with them new
opportunities, both for the businesses that develop and market them, and
for consumers.
It does not do anyone any good for consumers to hesitate to use any
particular
technology because they have concerns over privacy. That is why I
believe that good
privacy policies make good business policies."

The Center for Democracy and Technology suggests 5 conditions that sites

should follow tobe considerate of individuals rights to privacy:

        Notice of data collection
        Choice to opt out
        Access to data to rectify errors
        Adequate security of information database
        Access to contact persons at website

Notice the practice of data collection authorization can be accomplished
in
something as simple as an automated response.  This will help assure
your
customers that you are a business of integrity.

An additional consideration that must be made is for those businesses
that intend to
pursue international trade with foreign countries.  The European
Communities have legislation for the flow of personal information.  If
your are inteseted in doing business
across borders and particulary if you intend to share custotmer
information, you will need
to be able to guarantee the same privacy considerations as your foreign
counterpart.

Other countries and their legislation is shown below:

        Germany          BundesDatenSchutzGesetz  (BDSG)
        France              Commision Nationale de l'informatique et de
                                      libertes  (CNIL)
        UK                       Data Protection Act (DPA)
        Netherlands     Wet PersoonsRegistraties (WPR)
        Australia            Privacy Act 1998 (OECD DAta Protection
                                       Guidelines)
        Canada            The Personal Information Protection and
Electronic
                                       Documents Act

--

Barbara Jennings
Sandia National Laboratories
P.O. Box 5800 M/S 0807
Albuquerque, New Mexico  87185
(505)845-8554 FAX (505)844-2067
[email-masked]
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"Life is to be spent not saved."

  D.H. Laurence