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Should the Government Regulate Online Privacy? A Tech Industry Debate

POLICY FORUM
Tuesday, March 20, 2001
11:00 a.m.

Featuring John Palafoutas, American Electronics Association; Mark Uncapher, Information Technology Association of America; James W. Harper, PolicyCounsel.com and Privacilla.org.

The Cato Institute
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Washington, DC 20001


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Numerous bills have been introduced to address online privacy, but they raise a host of questions about freedom of speech and impacts on e-commerce. Will online privacy be treated differently from offline privacy? Should federal rules preempt state rules? "Opt-in" or "opt-out"? Is government's role one of enforcing privacy contracts or of helping to set their terms? What would legislation's impact be on the development of anonymizing software and browser policing functions-and are such tools enough?

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