Alan Chapell writes:
As most of us know, the whole internet economy is driven by consumer information. So what would happen if companies were legally required to delete the information they collected from and about consumers after a short period of time?
In early February, Representative Edward J Markey (D-MA), introduced the "Eliminate Warehousing of Consumer Internet Data Act of 2006" on the House Floor. According to the Congressman, "Personal information about consumers' internet use shouldn't be stored unnecessarily to await data thieves, or fraudsters, or disclosure through judicial fishing expeditions." So in order to avoid these consumer risks, the proposed bill would require online companies to dispose the consumer data they collect.
So if the Markey Bill passes there may be cause to seriously rethink how online businesses interact with consumers. For example, there may be increased pressure for email marketers to delete addresses from consumers who haven't responded to recent messages or opted out of past mailings. And what are the implications for you if you're in the behavioral targeting business? Or Affiliate Marketing? Or Ad serving? Or research? Heck, what if you just run a website?
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