Bill to Call for Greater Internet Privacy

Many people who surf the Internet don’t know that personal information on it can be collected at the sites they visit. But that could change under a bill to be offered today by a key telecommunications lawmaker who aims to give computer users greater privacy protections. The bill by Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin (R-La.) would bar companies from disclosing or using without consent people’s medical and financial records, as well as government information such as Social Security numbers that are available online, spokesman Ken Johnson said. As chairman of the House Commerce Committee’s telecommunications subcommittee, Tauzin has considerable power to advance legislation through the chamber. A hearing is planned for this fall. The bill would also require companies to adopt voluntary guidelines to protect computer users’ privacy when personal and other information is collected from them online for marketing purposes. The Federal Trade Commission is looking into the issue. To short-circuit any regulatory action, companies, including Microsoft Corp. and Netscape Communications Corp., have proposed letting computer users specify which personal information they are willing to share and with which Web sites.