At a hearing before the Energy and Commerce Committee's technology subcommittee, top officials with the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission walked a thin line in their remarks to lawmakers who at times appeared skeptical. Both officials expressed support for baseline privacy legislation that would implement consumer safeguards while avoiding burdensome mandates that could hinder the online economy. At the same time, they emphasized that their recent reports -- the that the Commerce Department developed in concert with the White House and the -- contain no new regulatory mandates.

"These are to some extent aspirational," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz told the panel. "We wanted to make it very clear that this isn't a regulatory document or an enforcement document."

Similarly, Lawrence Strickling, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary for communication and information, affirmed that the administration is backing a largely self-regulatory approach.

Both officials expressed support for a rudimentary privacy law, though neither endorsed any specific proposal.

The FTC and Commerce Department now plan to continue their collaboration with industry stakeholders to develop codes of conduct and implementation strategies to apply high-minded privacy concepts such as transparency and choice into practice.