Friday, March 11, 2005

EPIC: Industry Self-Regulation of Privacy Protection Has Failed

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has released a report that claims that self-regulation has failed in the information industry. I was going to post a summary here, but PrivacySpot beat me to it:

EPIC: Industry Self-Regulation of Privacy Protection Has Failed | PrivacySpot.com - Privacy Law and Data Protection:

"EPIC has published a scathing report, Privacy Self Regulation: A Decade of Disappointment, on the failure of businesses to effectively self-regulate their privacy protection practices. The report challenges the Federal Trade Commission's conclusion that self-regulation is 'the least intrusive and most efficient means to ensure fair information practices online, given the rapidly evolving nature of the Internet and computer technology.'

The report begins by noting that 'notice is not enough.' Although many websites now post their privacy policies online, EPIC contends that this should provide cold comfort to anyone surveying the current state of electronic privacy. The real problems range will be much more difficult to solve...."

The EPIC report is available here: Privacy Self-regulation: A Decade of Disappointment.

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