IP: SENATORS INTRODUCE SWEEPING NET PRIVACY BILL from edupage

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) have introduced a
far-reaching online privacy bill, highlights of which include a requirement
that Web sites give consumers notice and the ability to opt out of
data-collection schemes. The legislation also calls for a government
information initiative to provide citizens with more information about
privacy issues. Hatch said the bill will safeguard Internet users' privacy
and bolster consumer confidence in e-commerce "by ensuring proper protection
for consumers' privacy interests, and by deterring and prosecuting
fraudulent, criminal, and terrorist attacks to the Internet's
infrastructure." Indeed, a significant focus of the bill is the expansion of
law enforcement's powers over the Internet. This focus includes
clarification of current laws pertaining to "trap and trace" procedures and
an emphasis on increasing prosecutors' ability to pursue underage hackers. A
hacker attack no longer must cause at least $5,000 dollars of damage to be
prosecuted as a federal felony, under terms of the Hatch-Schumer bill. The
bill also calls for greater restrictions on spam. (Newsbytes  17 April 2000)