Sen. Rockefeller's Do-Not-Track bill demonstrates we can protect privacy and nurture digital commerce

Senator Rockefeller's proposed "Do Not Track" legislation provides consumers with the protection they need from the invasive practices of online marketers, who use increasingly sophisticated surveillance technologies to monitor our online travels. Essentially, this is a Do-Not-Call service for the digital age. But instead of eliminating nuisance phone calls, this bill eliminates a far more dangerous practice: tracking and profiling based on the collection of personal information without our knowledge or consent. Under the provisions of the Do Not Track bill, consumers will be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to share personal information--including their various Internet and mobile Web activities. This represents a huge step forward for consumer privacy, and is long overdue.   Sen. Rockefeller's bill demonstrates that we can both protect privacy and nurture the growth of Internet commerce.

Jeff Chester, Exec. Director, Center for Digital Democracy