Obama calls on Google, Facebook to develop common privacy standards

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Obama administration unveiled an initiative to give consumers more control over their personal information online, calling on Internet companies such as Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. to develop common privacy standards, Bloomberg reports.

Congress should enact a privacy bill of rights for Web users, the administration said in a report released in Washington. The U.S. Commerce Department also plans to convene industry and consumer groups to develop voluntary codes of conduct for online privacy that would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, according to the report.

“Consumers can’t wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy.”

Revelations about potential privacy vulnerabilities during the past year have spurred calls from regulators and lawmakers in Washington for stronger protections of personal data online and on Internet-connected mobile devices.

Google and Facebook, the world’s largest social network, are among Web companies facing scrutiny over their handling of consumer data used to power an online ad market projected to reach $39.5 billion in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer Inc., a New York-based research firm.

The White House report sets broad principles for the use of personal information that include giving consumers control over what data is collected on them and how it is used; providing understandable privacy policies; and handling consumer data securely. The Commerce Department will meet with companies and privacy advocates to develop voluntary standards for businesses based on the principles.