[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    BRUCE F. VENTO CONSUMER INTERNET PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT OF 1996

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 1996

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, the age of the Internet is upon us and 
evolving faster than we ever imagined. Each day new companies and 
industries grow out of the constant technological innovation that has 
come to symbolize this information superhighway. The Internet has 
reached into our schools, businesses and homes. It has allowed average 
Americans sitting in the privacy of their living rooms to connect with 
and explore the world. The Internet provides us with entertainment, 
information and communication. But with all the wonders of the Internet 
comes the potential for problems. Today, I am introducing the Consumer 
Internet Privacy Protection Act of 1996 in an effort to address just 
one such problem.
  To gain access to the Internet's endless web of sites, users must 
work through an Internet provider or server. While these servers 
provide a valuable service to their customers, they are also capable of 
collecting an enormous amount of personal information about these 
individuals. Besides the personal information an Internet server may 
collect when they enroll a subscriber, servers are also capable of 
identifying the sites their subscribers visit. Without doubt such 
information would be quite valuable to direct marketers and those 
interested in marketing, while providing servers with yet another 
source of revenue for providing such personal private information. The 
result--subscribers are inundated with junk mail and/or e-mail.
  My legislation is intended to inform and protect the privacy of the 
Internet user by requiring servers to obtain the written consent of 
their subscribers before disclosing any of their personal information 
to third parties. In addition, my bill requires a server to provide its 
subscribers access to any personal information collected by the server 
on its users, along with the identity of any recipients of such 
personal information.
  As the Internet becomes a more integral part of our daily lives, it 
is important that we in Congress take a commonsense approach, like this 
legislation, to ensure the citizens of our nation are able to benefit 
from this technology without sacrificing their personal privacy. My 
legislation will not hamper the growth and innovation of the Internet 
in any way. It will merely provide an opportunity for the consumers of 
Internet services to protect their privacy if they so wish. After all, 
the preservation of our privacy is one of our Nation's most cherished 
freedoms, which technology must not be allowed to circumvent.

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