By Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Two consumer groups asked the
Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to create a "do not track
list" that would allow computer users to bar advertisers from
collecting information about them.
The Consumer Federation of America and the Consumers Union
also urged the FTC to bar collection of health information and
other sensitive data by companies that do business on the
Internet unless a consumer consents.
The call echoed those of other privacy advocates who filed
statements with the FTC on Internet companies' use of
"behavioral advertising." That is the practice of tracking a
computer user's activities online, including Web searches and
sites visited, to target advertisements to the individual
consumer.
In December, the FTC approved Google's purchase of
advertising rival DoubleClick over the objections of some
privacy groups.
At the same time, the agency urged advertisers to let
computer users bar advertisers from collecting information on
them, to provide "reasonable security" for any data and to
collect data on health conditions or other sensitive issues
only with the consumer's express consent.
In comments to the FTC on online behavioral advertising,
advertisers made clear a strong preference for self-regulation
rather than government dictates on how personal data are
collected, what disclosures are made to computer users and how
long the information is stored.
Consumer groups said on Tuesday they were skeptical of
self-regulation.
"Self-policing schemes are not enough to protect consumers'
privacy and offer no enforcement against improper behavior,"
said Chris Murray, senior counsel for Consumers Union, in a
statement.
"While companies like Google are trying to put pretty good
practices in place, we don't want to rely on the good graces of
the companies because they might change their minds," he told
Reuters in a telephone interview.
Several child advocacy groups, including the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Academy
of Pediatrics, urged the FTC to bar advertisers from collecting
information on or advertising to anyone under the age of 18.
Several advertisers also questioned whether the FTC and
privacy groups had established that any harm had been done by
the data collected and pointed out that the advertisers
subsidized the free information often sought on the Internet.
"The associations (of businesses and advertisers) strongly
believe that self-regulation and leading business practices
comprise the most effective framework to protect consumers and
further innovation in the area of privacy and behavioral
advertising," the American Advertising Federation, Association
of National Advertisers and other organizations said in a
statement.
"We believe that any additional principles or guidelines
should be issued only after the commission specifically
identifies harms and concerns so that business is in a position
to consider and address them," the group said in its comments
to the FTC.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Gary Hill)
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