New Report Calls For Online Privacy Bill Of Rights

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Commerce Department is calling for the creation of a "privacy bill of rights" for Internet users. It would set rules of the road for companies that collect consumer data online and use that information for marketing and other purposes.

The proposal, outlined in a Commerce Department report Thursday, is intended to address growing unease about the vast amounts of personal information that companies are scooping up on the Net -- from Web browsing habits to smart phone locations to Facebook preferences. That data is often mined to target advertising.

The new report proposes the creation of a voluntary, but enforceable industry code of conduct to ensure that companies give consumers clear notice about data collection and the opportunity to decline, or "opt out" of it.

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