Call for creation of "privacy bill of rights" for Internet users

WASHINGTON: The Commerce Department is calling for the creation of a "privacy bill of rights" for Internet users to set ground rules for companies that collect consumer data online and use that information for marketing and other purposes.

The proposal, outlined in a report Thursday, is intended to address growing unease about the vast amounts of personal information that companies are scooping up on the Internet - from Web browsing habits to smart phone locations to Facebook preferences. That data is often mined to target advertising.