[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E8]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONSUMER INTERNET PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT OF 1996

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, the age of the Internet puts more and more 
Americans on-line--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 1997 in an 
effort to address just one such glaring 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 
individual consumers. 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 those interested in 
marketing, while providing servers with yet another source of revenue 
for providing such personal and private information about consumers. 
The result--subscribers are inundated with junk mail and/or e-mail, 
based on such sales of their profiles to third parties.
  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.
  While this bill addresses many concerns, I do not view this 
legislation as a final draft, complete with every detail, but rather as 
a first step down a road we are bound to travel. Obviously, issues 
involving the Internet are new and complex and deserve careful and 
thoughtful consideration. The Internet touches an incredible and 
increasing number of people and industries, and it is clear that the 
perspective and input from these interests are vital to the success of 
this process.
  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 
proposed legislation, to ensure the citizens of our Nation are able to 
benefit and retain a voice in the use of this technology without 
involuntarily 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 unchecked technology must not be allowed to circumvent.

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