U.S. Chamber Rejects Hollings' Internet Privacy Proposal

WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Chamber of Commerce today strongly criticized a proposal by Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) that will stifle online commerce and do little to protect the privacy of individuals and businesses.

"We must not legislate privacy laws that are ineffective or hinder the growth of online commerce," said Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber executive vice president. "This proposal is nothing more than a solution in search of a problem."

According to the Chamber, the legislation by Senator Hollings imposes unnecessary and burdensome requirements on online commerce, opens a Pandora's box for class action lawsuits, and does not attempt to address or harmonize any of the more than 30 federal laws already in place that govern consumer privacy.

"Businesses know that they must protect their customers in order to maintain consumer confidence," said Josten. "That's why we see that more than 99% of the most popular Web sites already have privacy policies to protect consumers."

The Chamber has been a leader on privacy issues, educating lawmakers, businesses, and consumers on the significant steps the business community has taken to protect consumers' privacy, both on and off line. The Chamber is a founding member of the Privacy Leadership Initiative and the Online Privacy Alliance — groups of companies and CEOs working to create an environment of trust in the online world.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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