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Technology Stocks : IATV-ACTV Digital Convergence Software-HyperTV -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mike.com who wrote (12311)	1/30/2001 3:34:49 PM
From: BN	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13157

whew! That's good to know...and remember! thanks, BN p.s. will we close above 7? Don't think so.

To: mike.com who wrote (12311)	2/1/2001 10:23:11 AM
From: Bob Burke	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13157

Mike does this affect IATV's business model U.S. Senate Gets Powerful Net Privacy Bill By Clare Saliba www.NewsFactor.com, Part of the NewsFactor Network January 30, 2001 Adding to the chorus of policymakers who have made Internet privacy a front-burner issue for the current U.S. Congress, Senator John Edwards (D-North Carolina) reintroduced legislation Monday aimed at safeguarding online users from "spyware" software that covertly tracks shopping and surfing habits. Titled the Spyware Control and Privacy Protection Act, the bill seeks to "uncloak" software programs that utilize encrypted codes to surreptitiously monitor Internet users and distribute the personal information to advertisers, telemarketers or other businesses. "The same technology that puts information at our fingertips also makes our shopping and Web surfing habits, even our medical and financial records, available to the highest bidder," said Edwards in a statement. The bill was originally proposed in 1999, but Congress did not act on it before finishing business late last year. The bill is now slated to be addressed by the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, although a representative from Edwards' office could not say when it would be taken up. Private Information Covered Under the spyware bill, software providers that use codes to track the activities of Internet users would have to notify consumers in "plain language" when they buy or download such programs. In addition, the bill stipulates that businesses that gather data would have to inform individuals what information has been assembled, provide a way to correct errors, and safeguard the data against unauthorized access by hackers. Some in the Internet industry have resisted these types of measures, arguing that the burden of providing this data to consumers is too overwhelming. Some of the personal information the act would protect includes: first and last names; home or other physical addresses; e-mail addresses; telephone, social security and credit card numbers; birth dates or place of birth; and any other "unique identifying information." "Spyware is just one of many startling examples of how our privacy is being eroded," said Edwards. "This legislation is a reasonable way to help Americans regain some of their lost privacy." Spate of Proposals The Edwards bill is just the latest in a batch of Net privacy bills that have been introduced since the beginning of the year, proving that the issue -- which has been a source of controversy within the tech world for months -- is now politically potent. For instance, a measure proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week by Chris Cannon (R-Utah) and Anna Eshoo (D-California) calls for Web sites to notify visitors about how personal data such as telephone numbers and ZIP codes are used, and would allow visitors to limit such use. A number of similar bills are also pending. Although observers and legislators agree that Congress will probably pass an Internet privacy bill this year, it remains to be seen what kinds of boundaries will be established. While consumer advocacy groups have pushed for stronger federal protections, the industry as a whole has urged lawmakers to set minimal self-policing guidelines.