White House Forms Internet Privacy Panel

Google Street View. Credit Cards. Online Banks. Facebook Places. More and more of our private information is online everyday.

As Internet privacy continues to evolve into a complex issue fraught with questions and concerns, the Obama administration is moving to take on the matter. The White House recently announced the formation of a subcommittee to advise the administration on internet related regulatory and legislative matters. The internet privacy panel will focus first and foremost on internet privacy. Commerce Department general counsel Cameron Kerry and assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, Christopher Schroeder, will co-chair the group.

The purpose of the subcommittee is find common areas of agreement regarding laws and regulations for internet privacy. The internet privacy panel will work with private businesses to ensure that privacy is given the consideration it requires in the digital age.

Consumer advocacy groups have been increasingly vocal about privacy issues involving online advertising, social media and data collection. According to the National Science and Technology Council, the subcommittee will include members of the Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security and State departments. In addition, members of the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, U.S. Trade Representative office and National Security Staff Cybersecurity Directorate were also invited, the Washington Post reports.

"[A] thriving and dynamic economy requires Internet policies that promote innovation domestically and globally while ensuring strong and sensible protections of individuals' private information," Kerry and Schroeder wrote on the NSTC blog.

Of course this isn't the first time that a committee has been formed to try to tackle a complex problem. So is there reason to believe that this one can actually make a difference? Will consumers see a meaningful change in the way their privacy is handled? Time will tell.

Related Resources:

• Administration forms online privacy group (The Hill)
• Privacy (FindLaw)
• Internet (FindLaw)