West Virginia U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller proposed a bill Monday aimed at preventing companies from tracking websites visited by consumers.
The bill, which would allow consumers to opt out of web-tracking provisions, comes as focus on consumer privacy has received a renewed focus following revelations of various privacy invasion software, including an iPhone script that tracks and stores an individual’s location. Minnesota U.S. Sen. Al Franken is expected to unveil a similar bill aimed at mobile phones and geo-location software.
“Recent reports of privacy invasions have made it imperative that we do more to put consumers in the driver’s seat when it comes to their personal information,” Mr. Rockefeller said in a statement.
“I believe consumers have a right to decide whether their information can be collected and used online,” he continued. “This bill offers a simple, straightforward way for people to stop companies from tracking their movements online.”
The bill would allow the FTC to develop the Do Not Track regulations. It will also allow the agency to evaluate existing opt-out technologies and review the effectiveness of the law itself every two years.
