Today,
President Obama declared
March 4-10, 2012 as National Consumer
Protection Week, building on a coordinated effort that encourages consumers
nationwide to take full advantage of their consumer rights and make
better-informed decisions. The Commerce Department is using this occasion
to showcase the efforts of our Internet
Policy Task Force, which is leveraging the expertise of several Commerce
bureaus that are aimed at ensuring continued innovation in the Internet economy
and preserving consumer trust in Internet commerce and online
interactions. In particular, the Task Force continues to move forward in
our work to promote new efforts that will lead to improved Internet privacy
protection and better security for consumers online.
In
February, the Obama administration unveiled
a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” as part of a comprehensive blueprint
to improve consumers’ privacy protections and ensure that the Internet remains
an engine for innovation and economic growth. The president’s report
called on the Commerce Department’s NTIA to begin convening companies, privacy
advocates and other stakeholders to develop and implement enforceable privacy
policies based on the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.
NTIA is now moving forward and seeking
public input on what issues should be addressed through the privacy
multistakeholder process and how to structure these discussions so they are
open, transparent, and most productive. Today, NTIA issued a
formal request for comment (PDF). The comment period will remain open
until March 26, 2012.
As
NTIA Administrator Lawrence Strickling illustrated
last week, we hope to receive meaningful suggestions and input from
a range privacy stakeholders. Their continued involvement will be key for
the future of consumer protection and we need your help to make it a success.
The
report, “Consumer
Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and
Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy,” (PDF) resulted
from a comprehensive review of Internet privacy policy and innovation in the Internet
economy lead by the Commerce Department’s Internet
Policy Task Force.