Minimize the Risks of Privacy Violations When Operating E-Commerce Web Sites

Overview: In the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of laws, rules and regulations applicable to the collection, use and transfer of personally- identifiable information via the Internet. At the same time, governmental authorities have been demonstrating a new level of commitment to investigating and prosecuting privacy violations. By accepting customers from different countries, Web site operators are opening themselves up to the potential application of foreign law to their activities. Although the cases outlined in the previous section highlight the importance of implementing adequate measures to protect the security of personal data, they also illustrate that it is necessary to avoid making unrealistic privacy guarantees. Above all, a privacy policy must be an accurate description of the practices of an entity and entities may face very serious consequences if they use or transfer personal data in a manner that violates their stated privacy policy. When implementing privacy policies and procedures company-wide, it is essential to ensure that actual practices are consistent with stated policies. In the current environment, the consequences of committing privacy violations can be quite severe. Accordingly, it is extremely important that that the development and implementation of privacy policies be afforded proper attention and concern.

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Format: PDF | Size: 450KB | Date: Sep 2002 | Pages: 3