Americans are increasingly living their lives online and taking advantage of all the benefits that the Internet has to offer. However, consumers remain justifiably apprehensive about the privacy and security of the personal information they share with companies and divulge online. It has become more and more difficult for consumers to keep track of when, where, how, and to whom their personal information is disclosed. Meanwhile, high-tech scams involving spyware and phishing continue to increase in sophistication, undermining the trust necessary for commerce to thrive online.
Internet users need to be confident that the data they divulge to companies will be protected. At the same time, law enforcers at all levels must have the resources they need to aggressively pursue fraudsters and malicious scammers, protect consumers, and deter future online crimes.
The increased use of the Internet to share health information presents new challenges to protecting privacy. A majority of Americans want their health information available to them, and exchanged by their health care providers, on-line. At the same time, they express significant concerns about the privacy of their medical records. Technology has a greater capacity to protect sensitive personal health information than is the case now with paper records; however, moving health data into the digital age, without strong privacy and security safeguards, magnifies the risks.
In order to restore the protect consumer privacy in the digital age, President Obama and Congress should take specific steps, including the following: