FC: Hewlett-Packard CEO wants Congress to regulate web privacy

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[I suspect that Ms. Fiorina means what she says, but it is also true that 
some companies say something publicly yet instruct their lobbyists to take 
a less aggressive stand in private. Plus, other folks in the industry may 
not take the same regulation-is-inevitable-let's-beg-for-it approach. 
Hello, T.J. Rodgers! --Declan]

*********

From: "Geoff Gariepy" <geoff_gariepy () hotmail com>
To: declan () well com
Subject: HP's Fiorana backs web privacy legislation
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 11:03:18 EDT

Declan,
FYI.  Source: http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2618662,00.html

Geoff

HP's Fiorina backs Net regulation

Putting her company at odds with other industry leaders, Fiorina calls for 
regulators to step in with privacy standards.

By Ben Charny, ZDNet News
August 23, 2000 7:40 AM PT

ASPEN -- Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Carly Fiorina has put her $50 billion 
company in a rather lonely, and precarious, position.

The woman at the helm of one of the computer industry's oldest citizens 
wants some form of legislation to help answer the growing concerns over 
Internet privacy.

"It cannot be every man, woman and child out for themselves in the wild, 
wild west," she told a group of high-powered policy makers and industry 
leaders attending the Progress and Freedom Foundation's Aspen Summit.

"There is a role for legislation that sets a minimum set of requirements to 
create a foundation that is minimally acceptable," she said.

The crowded room stood and cheered her remarks, and those attending a 
dinner where she spoke fawned over her leadership role. One industry leader 
went so far as to call her the leader of the new digital age.


Divisions within IT industry
But do they really mean it?

Under Fiorina's leadership, HP (NYSE: HWP) has been trying to coax a 
reluctant industry for more than two months to get behind some form of 
federal regulation. The issue is so divisive that sources say even those in 
HP are divided on which direction to go.

The company is championing a law forcing Web sites dealing with consumers 
to disclose up front what they plan to do with the information gathered 
from every Web site visit. Scott Cooper, HP's technology policy manager, 
said congressmen will be getting more visits from HP in the next few weeks.

"We will be active in trying to engage Congress in the need to have 
legislation along these lines," including supporting the current bill 
introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, he said.

But behind the fawning in Aspen is a real division between Hewlett-Packard 
and the rest of the IT industry.

Even Fiorina admits it's been tough getting other companies to come on board.

"We have seen some movement," she said following her address Tuesday night.

So far, most of the fans seem to be those in government, or people like 
Esther Dyson, the head of ICANN who will be stepping down in November.

"Government and industry can do a lot more," she said.

Eyes on self regulation
But fans of HP's stance are hard to find in the information technology 
industry. Instead, major players like Microsoft and IBM are moving more 
towards self-regulation.

[...]