Trade group releases new list of 'awful' Internet laws

18.08.2009
A Maine law that would require e-commerce vendors to get parental permission before collecting any personal information about teens and children is so broad that it could lead to lawsuits against vendors of many Internet services, according to the NetChoice trade group.

The Maine law, which goes into effect Sept. 12, could prevent any e-commerce sites, including those selling class rings and college test prep services, from collecting any personal information from minors without "verifiable parental consent," NetChoice said as it released a new list of "awful" Internet laws and legislation.

The law would effectively stop e-commerce sites from selling to teens and minors, with Web sites generally having no way to get parental consent, said Steve DelBianco, executive director of NetChoice, a trade group representing Yahoo, eBay, VeriSign and other Internet-related businesses.

The Internet is "increasingly under attack" by lawmakers and regulators, many of whom want to increase revenue by taxing Internet services, he said.

The Maine legislation started as a way to protect minors from having their health information collected without parental consent, DelBianco said. But the law now says it's illegal for anyone to "knowingly collect or receive health-related information or personal information" for marketing purposes from a minor without getting parental consent. includes a minor's name and address as personal information that cannot be collected without parental consent

In addition, the law allows private lawsuits against e-commerce sites that do not get parental consent. There's some question about whether the Maine attorney general's office will actively enforce the law, but there's no way to stop private lawsuits, DelBianco added. "This is a major concern for Internet companies that have some teens from Maine using their sites," he said.