McCain Introduces Web Data Protection Bill
Arizona Republican senator John McCain introduced legislation yesterday that would require Web site hosts to disclose what they do with data collected from site visitors, according to wire services,
The legislation would not prevent sites from using information collected for marketing purposes, but would require site hosts to disclose what steps visitors can take to limit its use, the report said.
Spence Abraham, a Republican senator from Michigan, and senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) also sponsored the bill.
According to reports, the bill allows consumer to sue Web sites that violate site agreements for up to $22,000. The bill also calls for the National Academy of Sciences to create a study that would determine if similar protections are needed for offline businesses.
The Senate Commerce Committee, which McCain chairs, will conduct hearings regarding the bill, and is slated to pass it along to the Senate floor for a vote in September, the report said.
