The platform for privacy preferences

nternet users are concerned about the privacy of information they supply to Web sites, not only in terms of personal data, but information that Web sites may derive by tracking their online activities [7]. Many online privacy concerns arise because it is difficult for users to obtain information about actual Web site information practices. Few Web sites post privacy policies, 1 and even when they are posted, users do not always find them trustworthy or understandable. Thus, there is often a one-way mirror effect: Web sites ask users to provide personal information, but users have little knowledge about how their information will be used. Understandably, this lack of knowledge leads to confusion and mistrust. The WorldWide Web Consortium (W3C)'s Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P) provides a framework for informed online interactions. The goal of P3P is to enable users to exercise preferences over Web site privacy practices at the Web sites. P3P applications will allow users to be informed about Web site practices , delegate decisions to their computer agent when they wish, and tailor relationships with specific sites. We believe users' confidence in online transactions will increase when they are presented with meaningful information and choices about Web site privacy practices. P3P is not a silver bullet; it is complemented by other technologies as well as regulatory and self-regulatory approaches to privacy. Some technologies have the ability to technically preclude practices that may be unacceptable to a user. For example, digital cash, anonymizers, and encryp-tion limit the information the recipient or eaves-droppers can collect during an interaction. Laws and industry guidelines codify and enforce expectations regarding information practices as the default or baseline for interactions. A compelling feature of P3P is that localized decision making enables flexibility in a medium that encompasses diverse preferences, cultural norms, and regulatory jurisdictions. However, for P3P to be effective, users must be willing and able to make meaningful decisions when presented with disclosures. This requires the existence of easy-to-use tools that allow P3P P Pr ri iv va ac cy y P Pr re ef fe er re en nc ce es s Web sites can bolster user confidence by clarifying their privacy practices upfront, allowing visitors to become active players in the decision-making process. 49 users to delegate much of the information processing and decision making to their computer agents when they wish, as well as a framework promoting the use …