Submission Number: 00277 

Received: 2/4/2011 12:30:22 PM
Commenter: John  Schumann
Organization: 
State: Ohio
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: A Preliminary FTC Staff Report on "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers"
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Internet tracking is nothing more than stalking; it's peeping toms, it is
another form of harassment and surveillance - unwanted and uninvited. Most
states have laws against this type of behavior yet these laws have not yet been
applied to cyberspace. Articles in the Wall Street Journal in the summer of 2010
clearly show how surreptitious, intrusive, and persistent these business have
become. Their "beacons" replicate themselves upon deletion. Yet, most citizens
are unaware that age, gender, race, zip code, income, martial status, health
concerns, hobbies,interests have become public information. The industry's
response to this is ludicrous. "We don't track anyone by name." Correct, no
names, but how many [redacted]? These business have used a
public medium to basically create a permanent surveillance system. The banking
industry has done the same thing by sharing their customer's transaction
history. If someone is unconcerned about sharing their personal data with the
world, that is fine. Each person should have the right to choose. In today's
environment, there is no choice. All citizens are raped of their privacy "as
permitted by law" - as the banks tell us every year. Congress has shown that
where "business interest" [read: money] is at stake, the public interest be
damned and no substantive action can be enacted. A Do Not Track option is an
excellent idea. It is long overdue.