On February 23, the White House announced a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights,” which it described as “part of a comprehensive blueprint to improve consumers’ privacy protection and ensure that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.” The provisions of the Bill are intended to be advisory and voluntary,  rather than mandatory. The White House press release can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/23/we-can-t-wait-obama-administration-unveils-blueprint-privacy-bill-rights.

According to the report accompanying the proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, it provides for:

• Individual Control:  Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it.
• Transparency:  Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices.
• Respect for Context:  Consumers have a right 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.
• Security:  Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data.
• Access and Accuracy:  Consumers have a right 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.
• Focused Collection:  Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain.
• Accountability:  Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

An article about the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights can be found at the website of Beyond the Beltway: State and Local Government IT Market Watch.