Online 'Cookies' Crumble Under Tougher Fed Guidelines
It took a decade, but the federal government issued new policies today governing how agencies can interact with the public online and collect information from visitors to their Websites with so-called "cookie" files and other technologies.
The aim is to enable agencies to continue expanding their online presence while adding safeguards to protect the privacy rights of citizens, Michael Fitzpatrick, an associate administer at OMB, told reporters on a conference call.
The new guidelines specify that agencies must ensure that third party sites and applications meet federal standards for privacy protections. The rules also set parameters for collecting personally identifiable information about online users, using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and participating in webinars or virtual town halls meetings.
Starting today, personal information only can be gathered about visitors to federal sites if those parties have actively "opted in" to the data collection. Agencies are prohibited from tracking a user's online activity on non-government Websites. "It's important that we set down a clear set of rules of the road so that agencies have confidence when they engage in this area that they are doing it the right way," Fitzpatrick said.
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