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Internet Privacy
TRUSTe.com
TRUSTe is a nonprofit organization devoted to building global trust in the Internet by providing a standardized, third party oversight privacy program that addresses the privacy concerns of consumers, Web site operators, and government officials. A cornerstone of the program is the "trustmark," which TRUSTe awards only to those Web sites that adhere to its established privacy principles and agree to comply with its oversight and resolution process. Web sites that display the trustmark must disclose their personal information collection and privacy policies in a straightforward privacy statement, generally via a link from their home pages. TRUSTe is supported by a network of corporate, industry, and nonprofit sponsors, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), CommerceNet, America Online, Compaq, CyberCash, Ernst & Young, Excite, IBM, MatchLogic, Microsoft, Netcom, and Netscape.
Internet users have a right to expect online privacy and a responsibility to exercise choice over how personal information is collected, used, and shared by Web sites. The TRUSTe program was designed expressly to ensure that users' privacy is protected by fostering open disclosure and empowering users to make informed choices. Its established privacy principles embody fair information practices developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission, and prominent industry-represented organizations and associations.
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