If you’ve had it up to here with websites stealing your personal data and tracking your every move as you browse, President Obama is about to come to the rescue.
With most any website you visit nowadays, cookies are automatically downloaded into your browser. This allows companies to track all the sites you frequent on the Internet and know how long you stay, even if it’s not their own site. They often grab certain demographics about who you are, as well as your browsing and buying habits, etc. But President Obama has had enough of the loose Internet laws and is seeking to pass legislation for a users Bill of Rights regarding privacy on the Internet.
The Obama administration believes that companies should ask an individual’s permission prior to using personal data for a purpose other than for which it was collected. The administration may also eventually propose that consumers be given the right to access information gathered about themselves and to have the information stored securely.
Government officials are none too happy with the increasing intrusiveness of online tracking, and are even considering a “do not track” tool which would allow users to opt out of any online targeting. The president’s plan to push forward with this legislation reflects a formal shift in attitude by the government, which has favored a hands-off approach to the Internet for more than a decade.
