‘Do Not Track’ for children considered

The co-chairmen of the House privacy caucus on Friday will release a discussion draft of a privacy bill aimed at protecting children on the Internet.

Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas) are titling it the “Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011,” according to an aide. 

{mosads}The bill includes a provision to create a “Do Not Track” program for children and teens so they can choose not to allow online advertisers to follow theirs clicks around the Web. 

It aims to enhance requirements around the disclosure and use of personal information while particularly targeting the collection of location data, an issue that has flared up in recent weeks as an aspect of the online world that many consumers find unsettling. 

The bill also includes a provision for an “eraser button” so consumers can eliminate publicly available content about themselves. 

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) has also introduced privacy legislation, and Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) has pledged to review the issue at her Energy and Commerce subcommittee.