Congressman to revive 2005 online privacy bill with new feedback

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Internet users should be able to see what kind of information companies are collecting about them and how it’s being used. That’s according to US House Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL), who plans to introduce new legislation that would give users the ability to control how their info is used in advertising. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would play the part of the enforcer, and the bill would go along with the FTC’s own privacy agenda that addresses user tracking.

Stearns discussed his plans for the upcoming bill during a panel discussion at the Technology Policy Institute (TPI) last week. The panel was actually meant to discuss the FTC’s “Do Not Track” initiative, but Stearns took the opportunity during his opening remarks to emphasize the need for legislation to keep companies in check.