Hollings bill would limit cataloger use of data

A bill introduced in the Senate attacks the sharing of consumers’ personal information by marketers. Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-SC) introduced the bill, S.2201, on May 16. The bill proposes to limit the use of data gathered via the Internetand by print catalog sales.

The bill would require consumers to grant permission before Internet providers or companies with Websites could collect or use sensitive personal data such as financial information, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political party affiliation. Other data, such as ordering history, could still be shared without advance permission as long as consumers had an opt-out option and were given the opportunity to view and correct the information about themselves.