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PRESS RELEASE
OTA Submits Comments to FTC to advance consumer choice and
integrated browser control
Seattle, WA – December 21, 2009 – The Online Trust Alliance today submitted
public comments supporting the upcoming FTC Privacy Roundtable to be held on
January 28th in Berkeley, California. OTA recommends a three-fold
approach; 1) advancement of a standardized Privacy & Data Collection Statement,
2) Increased integration of privacy based browser controls and 3) encourage
businesses to advise consumers to upgrade when using insecure browsers.
Not unlike a health department rating for a restaurant, an automotive
“Monroney” Sticker or a nutrition label on a food product, a standardized
framework is required to enable consumers to make informed choices regarding
any data collection during online activities A conceptual
Privacy & Data Collection Statement,
is recommended for all sites, online services, email marketers as well
as retail points of collection which collect and track consumer behavior
data.
“A framework which empowers consumers to make informed decision on the
sharing their data and the use of a browser with integrated privacy controls
is essential to the vitality of the digital life style” said Craig Spiezle,
Executive Director of the Online Trust Alliance. “In this period with
online trust being eroded by cybercrime and deceptive business practices,
those businesses who are early adopters will realize a “trust dividend” in
the eyes of the consumer and in the wallets of the stockholders, said
Spiezle”.
Advancing consumer controls and notice are core to
OTA's Online Principles.
The benefits includes providing consumers: 1) a concise and comparative view
to how sites will use their data; 2) an understanding of the value they are
receiving, and 3) an ability to manage their data that they submit or which
may have previously been collected. Businesses benefit by: 1) consumers
realizing an increased trust and confidence in their brand and 2) an ability
to differentiate their business practices.
Today most browsers provide
features and settings to aid consumers in maintaining their privacy though
their implementation and usability are limited, and discoverability is
extremely low.
OTA encourages browser vendors to continue to
innovate for the benefit of the consumer, while providing web sites the
ability to know when such features are enabled.
In order to maximize consumer control, these features are recommended to be
1) integrated into the browser, 2) discoverable, 3) intuitive and 4) provide
teachable moments that all segments of users can easily comprehend.
To accelerate consumer protection, OTA is calling on all
commence, financial services and government sites to encourage users to
upgrade their outdated and insecure browsers. Yesterday's browsers
lack the essential data security and privacy controls, as well malware and
phishing protection, which present a significant threat to their personal
data and privacy.
Through a combination of standardized notice, integrated
browser controls and teachable moments, these recommendations support the
FTC goals, while helping to maximize online trust and confidence and the
long-term vitality of online marketing, advertising and consumer services.
OTA FTC Public Comments
(PDF) (updated Dec 22, 2009)
About The Online Trust Alliance (OTA)
https://otalliance.org/
The mission of OTA is to
create a trusted global online ecosystem and foster the elimination of email
and Internet fraud, abuse and cybercrime; thereby enhancing trust,
confidence, and the protection of businesses and consumers. Through its
member companies and organization affiliates, OTA represents over one
million businesses and 500 million users worldwide with regional chapters in
Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe. OTA is a 501c6 IRS-approved non-profit,
governed by a Board and Steering Committee including Bank of America,
BoxSentry, Cisco System, Datran Media, Epsilon, Iconix, Internet Identity,
Intersections Inc, MarkMonitor, Message Systems, Microsoft Corporation, McAfee, Publishers
Clearing House, Return Path, Secunia, Symantec Corporation, TRUSTe and VeriSign.
For media-related inquiries contact:
Liz Shambaugh
Online Trust Alliance
Lizs@otalliance.org
425-785-7234
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