“The do-not-track system could put an end to the technological ‘arms race’ between tracking companies and people who seek not to be monitored.” – David Vladeck, FTC

David Vladeck is right. The Do Not Track system would put an end to the technological “arms race” – but that’s not a good thing. Instead, its the nuclear option that will halt ongoing industry innovation and consumer welfare.

Rob Pegoraro’s article in yesterday’s Washington Post is a worthy read, if only because it puts into context what is and isn’t a privacy breach.

Recently, there’s been a lot of noise–started by a Wall St Journal article–about a supposed privacy breach by Facebook surrounding the misuse of user data by applications installed on the user’s page. But as Pegoraro relates, this information was all public anyway, much like a phone book displays your identity. Here’s what he says is the difference between what is and isn’t a breach:

Privacy breach: Exposes private information you tried to keep confidential, in ways that risk the loss of money or security or otherwise fairly earn the adjective ‘Orwellian.’”

NOT a privacy breach: Information about you that is already made public to users of a website, including the “basic parameters of people’s accounts:  their name, picture, gender and networks….”

In an op-ed in today’s Daily Caller, legal advocate Tamara Holder reached a new high in rhetorical excess by calling Facebook, “the most dangerous assault weapon in the world.”

Even so, Holder is right when she says bullying is a serious and ongoing problem both online and offline.  After documenting examples of online trolling and bullying activity, Holder calls on Facebook and law enforcement to raise their game.  Some of that is happening, with the social network now hosting a safety center with guidelines for parents, educators, teens and law enforcement. 

A federal judge sided with privacy over taxes yesterday, signaling a victory for consumers in North Carolina. Now we’re waiting to see if this also means victory for consumers and online companies that sell into Colorado.

A U.S. District Court in Seattle blocked North Carolina’s Department of Revenue from compelling Amazon to reveal the names and addresses of its customers so that North Carolina could go after them for not paying use taxes on purchases where they did not pay sales tax.