Personal Information Privacy and the Internet

Personal information privacy is arguably the most important issue facing the growth and prosperity of the Internet, especially of e-commerce. Protecting personal information privacy has ignited a debate that pits privacy advocates against technology growth enthusiasts. This chapter explores personal information privacy on the Internet in terms of the social and legal issues surrounding it, and the technological challenges to personal information privacy facing individuals, businesses, and government regulators. Representative solutions to resolving the debate are presented, though at present the debate over personal information privacy continues and may have to be resolved by governments and the courts.