The bill, the Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011, would create a “universal legal obligation to honor consumer choice when consumers do not want anyone to collect information about their online activities.” It would also give the Federal Trade Commission the power to pursue any company that does not honor the consumer’s choice.
The bill would allow online companies to collect information that is necessary for the website or online service to function, but companies would be required to destroy the information when it is no longer needed.
“Consumers have a right to know when and how their personal and sensitive information is being used online – and most importantly to be able to say ‘no thanks’ when companies seek to gather that information without their approval. This bill will offer a simple, straightforward way for people to stop companies from tracking their every move on the Internet”, Rockefeller said in a statement.
The bill is similar to one introduced by senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) that would require companies to provide consumers with the ability to opt out of data collection.
A number of companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla, have already added Do Not Track capabilities to the latest versions of their browsers. The Rockefeller bill would make this mandatory for all browsers.