Department of Commerce Secretary John Bryson released a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” aimed at protecting consumers online and encourage the growth of responsible Internet commerce.
The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights will help protect consumers’ personal data, provide businesses with better guidance on how to meet consumers’ privacy expectations, and ensure that the Internet remains a strong platform for commerce, innovation, and growth, the agency said. This blueprint includes seven basic protections that consumers should expect from companies:
- Individual control in what kinds of data companies collect
- Transparency in how those companies plan to use that data
- Respect for the context in which that data is provided and disclosed
- Secure and responsible handling of that data
- Ability of consumers to access and ensure the accuracy of their own data
- Reasonable limits on the personal data that online companies try to collect and retain
- And accountability for companies to have strong privacy measures in place at all times.
