Congress is expected to pass some form of legislation next year protecting the online personal information of citizens, even though privacy advocates, high-tech executives and politicians aren't close to reaching consensus on the best ways to offer this protection.

There are "extreme" pro-Internet privacy supporters -- including Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), founders of the Congressional Privacy Caucus -- who are pushing for strict legislation. They especially want to see privacy legislation protecting the financial and medical information of consumers, but have had little luck convincing their colleagues to take their stance, the WashTech.com news service reports.

All three congressmen are staunch critics of the privacy protections included in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley financial services bill, passed earlier this year and championed as a way of reducing Social Security identity theft. These men say the new regulations aren't strong enough, because the bill was written with language that helps business interests and credit card agencies, WashTech.com reports.

Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), who may lose his seat depending on how a close vote recount goes, has joined with Rhett Dawson -- president of the Information Technology Industry Council -- in saying that online privacy is too complex an issue to be resolved with just one bill.

Holding the middle together are Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.), all of whom support legislation that includes provisions from both sides of the argument -- privacy advocates and industry executives.

Exactly which proposals will receive the most support is not yet clear. What is clear is that the issue of online privacy is going to spark much debate on Capitol Hill next year.

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