Consumer Groups, Congress Team on Web Privacy Issues

Congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus to join consumer groups to brief Hill staffers on behavioral targeting, user tracking

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/9/2009 10:56:48 PM

Consumer privacy groups are teaming with the congressional Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus to brief Hill staffers Nov. 16 on online privacy issues, including behavioral targeting and user tracking.

The congressional caucus is co-chaired by former Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and ranking House Commerce Committee member Joe Barton (R-Tex.).

Pam Dixon, World Privacy Forum, Lee Tien, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Amina Fazlullah, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Jeff Chester, Center for Digital Democracy, will be on hand for a primer (at least from their viewpoint) on the current state of online monitoring and behavioral targeting, how that is being abused, and what the government should be doing about it.

They want "clear legislation to protect consumers' privacy online." House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) has made online privacy legislation a priority of his tenure.