

The basic idea is that enforcement of mandatory legal rules would deter companies from abusing people's privacy.Ī significant element of current thinking about privacy, however, stresses "self-regulation" rather than market or government mechanisms for protecting personal information. Numerous companies and industry groups have promulgated self-regulatory codes or guidelines for the use of personal information. This article is part of a broader study by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) about the uses and limitations of self-regulation. The NTIA has also already given (somewhat qualified) support for a self-regulatory approach for the control of personal information in telecommunications.

Today we face a special urgency in deciding how to use markets, self-regulation, and government enforcement to protect personal information.

