Fighting Digital Consumer Privacy Xenophobia from Congress

As we mentioned previously, large US consumer data mining companies, which now include the leading ad agencies and interactive marketers, are fearful of the EU's thoughtful and courageous approach to protecting citizen and consumer privacy.  These giants fear that the EU standard will influence US policymakers as they craft privacy safeguards (and help make what is still a largely feckless FTC at least minimally effective).   The companies are apoplectic over EU proposals that would protect our anonymity--which they see as a real form of Do-Not-Track that may actually work.
Their other concern is Asia Pacific.  US data miners want to exploit the digital data rich and youth Internet connected region.  Horror if the Asia Pacific countries adopt a standard such as the EU where privacy and consumer protection comes first.
The hearing by Rep. Mack's subcommittee tomorrow sends the wrong closed-minded signal that has only armed the country's critics.  It says--don't give our tired and poor data mined consumer masses any ideas on privacy.  For shame.  Here's the letter sent today by the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue to Rep. Mack and other House members.