If you're like most people, one of the last things you look for when you visit a Web site is a seal or other evidence that it adheres to a strict information privacy policy.
It should be the first, according to consumer groups and electronic privacy advocates.
That's because every time you click on an Internet site even those having nothing to do with e-commerce you are taking the chance that some marketer or Web host will take the opportunity to gather personal information about you without your knowledge, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Even worse, many sites then sell the data which can include what sorts of items you purchase online, what Web sites you frequent, your e-mail address, and all manner of information on such private matters as your income, occupation, religion, hobbies and marital status that you supply when you sign a site's "guest book" or registry.
Seals of approval
But someone is working to make consumers more aware of the perils of privacy violations and to provide an independent means to determine whether a site can be trusted.
Three online "privacy certification" programs are offering seals of approval to companies that follow strict standards about the collection and marketing of sensitive information.
And moves are under way in Congress to make it mandatory that Web sites fully disclose what information they gather and how they intend to use it, and to give consumers the choice of whether the company can share their information with any third parties.
For now, though, the three voluntary programs are all the muscle that exists to encourage companies or nonprofit organizations to comply with basic privacy restrictions and give consumers at least some sense of whether their privacy rights will be protected.
All three require companies or groups seeking their approval to clearly explain whether they:
l collect information and how they will use it,
l allow consumers to "opt-out" of having their information used,
l provide regular monitoring to make sure the sites are abiding by their pledges, and
l offer dispute resolution programs if they have not.
So far, these programs collectively have given their blessing to about 3,000 e-commerce sites barely a drop in the Internet ocean of hundreds of thousands of such online marketplaces.
The best, for now
Consumers Union, a watchdog organization that publishes Consumer Reports, and other similar groups complain that the programs haven't devoted enough energy to getting tough on sites that operate fast and loose with personal data.
But for now, they acknowledge, these programs offer the best assurance of privacy protection available to Internet-commerce consumers. Here is an overview of each:
l TRUSTe.com has granted its privacy seal to more than 1,900 Internet sites and has more than 600 others in the pipeline for approval. Among those who have earned seals are L.L. Bean, America Online and eBay.
Sponsored by such cyber-heavyweights as AOL, Excite, Intel and Microsoft along with the privacy advocate Electronic Frontier Foundation the seal program requires companies to abide by full disclosure policies, provide opt-out choices, actively protect information from hackers and others, and agree to initial and periodic reviews by TRUSTe to make sure they're still toeing the privacy line.
The yearly cost to companies for a seal ranges from about $300 to $7,000, depending on annual revenues.
l BBBOnline is operated by the Better Business Bureau, which has long been a business watchdog and consumer voice. So far, nearly 700 seals have been awarded to such major companies as AT&T, MCI, Procter & Gamble, Dell Computers and Eastman Kodak. Another 1,400 are in progress.
Among its requirements: that sites disclose their privacy policies in an easy-to-find manner, offer the choice to opt-out, secure their sites from intruders, provide consumer access to data and agree to random third-party audits.
The yearly cost for a seal is $200 to $6,000, depending on company or group size.
l WebTrust is the newest seal program. It was created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which has established a rigorous process for approval. Not only does it require the same policies the other two programs do, but WebTrust also conducts on-site inspections every 90 days to make sure the Web site continues to comply with its strict standards.
WebTrust has just begun to award seals. The cost to companies is not publicly available.
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