White House proposes consumer bill of rights.

• Position: PRIVACY

The Obama Administration recently released a plan for an online privacy bill of rights meant to protect consumers and help them better control what information about them is collected online.

The bill of rights sets standards for the use of personal data, including individual control, transparency, security, access, accuracy, and accountability, according to The New York Times. It would give consumers the right to know what information is being collected about them, and it calls for do-not-track technology in most major web browsers to make it easier for users to control online tracking.

Officials from the Federal Trade Commission and National Telecommunications & Information Administration said Congress will have to write legislation governing the collection and use of personal data to implement the White House's recommendations. But, in the meantime, the agencies plan to meet with everyone from Internet firms to consumer groups to develop and implement enforceable rules based on the bill of rights that companies can voluntarily adopt in the absence of legislation, according to PCmag.com.

As released by the White House, the proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights includes seven protections:

1. Individual control: Consumers have a right to control what personal data organizations collect from them and how it is used.

2. Transparency: Consumers have a right to easily understandable information about privacy and security practices.

3. Respect for context: Consumers have a right to expect that organizations will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data.

4. Security: Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data.

5. Access and accuracy: Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data are inaccurate.

6. Focused collection: Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain.

7. Accountability: Consumers have a right to have personal data...