The White House has released proposals for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for the Internet. The draft Bill of Rights, which would be enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission, provides US consumers with the following rights:

1. Individual control – to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use  it
2. Transparency – to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices
3. Respect for context – to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data
4. Security – to secure and responsible handling of personal data
5. Access and accuracy – to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate
6. Focussed collection – to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain
7. Accountability – to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

The Obama administration has announced that it will work with the private sector to implement the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and encourage Congress to write these flexible, general principles into law.

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