Even though child privacy protection laws are now on the books, federal legislation ensuring a minimum level of privacy for all other Internet users is likely because the online industry is doing a poor job of regulating itself, according to Upside magazine columnist Eric J. Sinrod.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken the first step by recommending specific legislation. The FTC stated that while most all Web site had some kind of privacy policy, only 20 percent have implemented its "fair information practices" it has recommended (notice, choice, access and security), and only 8 percent have posted a privacy compliance seal, Sinrod reports.

Similar privacy efforts have been underway in Europe for some time. The 1998 European Data Protection Privacy Directive mandates data transferred outside the European Union is protected by not allowing it to be exported to countries with no privacy standard.

The United States has been negotiating with the EU for the last three years, to make sure data continues to be sent from Europe to American computers, the columnist reports.

One of the largest privacy concerns centers on how information regarding children's browsing habits is recorded and used. As previously reported by PNN, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) -- which went into effect last month -- makes it illegal to gather personal information from children younger than 13 years old without parental consent.

Sinrod, an attorney specializing in Internet issues, speculates that the next few months in an election year means uncertain in terms of what steps Congress may take when it comes to online consumer protection.

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