Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.) on Monday introduced a bill that would require Internet companies that make specific claims in their privacy policies not to share, transfer or sell personal information, to abide by those policies, Jeff Emerson, a spokesman for the Congressman said.
The introduction of the bill came on the same day the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against failed Internet retailer Toysmart.com LLC seeking to prevent the sale of personal information collected on the company Web site despite its privacy guarantee ” never” to share that information.
At its Web site, the retailer of children’s toys collected detailed personal information about its visitors including billing information and family profiles that include the names and birth dates of children. The once popular site attracted 1.6 million visitors in December 1999, according to Media Metrix.
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