Speier Introducing Do-Not-Track Bill

By John Eggerton
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.)

plans Friday to introduce her bill that would allow online consumers to prevent marketers from tracking their online movements.

She left no doubt about the point of the bill in its very personal name: The Do Not Track Me Online Act of 2011.

The bill is backed by the Consumer Federation of America, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumers Union and others. She is also introducing a separate bill concerning consumer control of financial information.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) is also introducing an online privacy bill this week.

The online privacy issue is heating up, with the Federal Trade Commission and Commerce Department both preparing reports/advisories on what the government should do to protect citizens online.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.