Markey seeks Web-tracking opt-in rule

After grilling companies about online behavioral tracking technology and their controversial usage of opt-out policies, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee, said he wants future online privacy legislation to include a rule for such solutions to use opt-in policies instead.

Rep. Markey and other legislators condemned the possibility of service providers tracking customer Web usage to deliver targeted ads, unless the gain clear authorization from those customers to do so. Since the Comcast traffic-shaping controversy, other service providers, under legislative pressure, have started to re-think or postpone their tests of deep packet inspection and other solutions that could be used in such a way.

Markey said, of opt-out practices: "That's basically saying silence is consent and as a result you can do whatever you want with their information."

For more:
- read this report at The Los Angeles Times

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