“Do Not Track” Internet spat risks legislative crackdown

By Jasmin Melvin | Reuters – Mon, 23 Jul, 2012

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House wants a “Do Not Track” option put on websites to give consumers greater control of their personal information online but Internet companies and privacy groups are at odds on how tight the controls should be.

The stalemate could lead to a legislative crackdown on Internet privacy if left unresolved.

That has firms like Google Inc and Facebook Inc that rely heavily on collecting user data worried that any legislation could lead to cuts in online advertising that would eat into their profits.

“Do Not Track” Internet spat risks legislative crackdown