In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, FTC Commissioner Julie Brill comments on the national debate on balancing security and privacy following revelations about the NSA’s surveillance program. It’s clearer now that there is an exchange for using free online services: Data miners collect personal information without users’ knowledge or consent, she suggests, and given that knowledge, now is the time to demand transparency from commercial data brokers about what is done with user data. She pushes an approach she’s dubbed “Reclaim Your Name,” which aims to empower consumers with knowledge on how their data is collected and used and give them the option to opt out. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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