The White House plans to release guidelines for internet companies to help them protect consumers' privacy today. However, the rules are voluntary, which means the web will likely remain an information free-for-all. The Federal Trade Commission will only police companies who agree to the administration's Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. The only real incentive for companies to agree to the rules is to boost consumer confidence. "As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy," Obama said in a statement. "For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure." Although the White House did not include the "Do Not Track" button, which stops advertisers from recording user traffic, in its guidelines, a coalition of very powerful web companies have announced support for the button. Among them is Google, whose Chrome browser should have a "Do Not Track" button by the end of the year.
The Latest
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Chart of the Day
Barack Obama raises more in small donations than Mitt Romney raises, period. That might prove a big stumbling block for the GOP ticket in the general election, unless Democrats don't catch up in the super PAC race.
-TPM
Reason to Get Out of Bed in the Morning
Solar power in the U.K. has passed the 1,000 MW milestone, after a feed-in tariff scheme was introduced in the country in April 2010. The amount of solar used since the inception of the program has grown 41 percent.
