The Georgetown University Internet Privacy Policy Survey to be conducted by Professor Mary J. Culnan of the McDonough School of Business, is expected to provide a fresh look at the number of sites that have posted privacy policies since the FTC conducted highly-publicized web sweeps last spring.

The FTC report last spring generated awareness that corporate America needed to do more to protect consumer privacy in cyberspace. Since then, the Online Privacy Alliance (OPA) has conducted business-to-business outreach to increase corporate awareness of the need to post privacy policies that preserve individual privacy and promote consumer trust. Throughout the fall, the OPA reached more than 17,000 corporate executives at hundreds of companies to encourage them to post meaningful privacy policies and join a privacy seal program that provides verification and consumer recourse, like BBBOnLine or TRUSTe.

"OPA members have demonstrated a commitment to fostering consumer privacy online," said Christine Varney, an OPA advisor and former commissioner with the FTC. "91% of Americans who sign on to the web each month visit an OPA member web site where a credible privacy policy is posted. They are setting the example for the rest of the industry."

Results from the survey will be included in the FTC¹s next report to Congress on the state of online privacy. "If it turns out that (the results) we are as dismal as...last year, Congress is going to have to act," FTC Chairman Robert Pitofsky was quoted as telling reporters at the Media Institute earlier this month.

Alliance supporters include: Acxiom, AdForce, America Online, Inc., American Advertising Federation, American Electronics Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Ameritech, Apple Computer, Association of Online Professionals, AT&T, Bank of America, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, CASIE (CASIE is representing Association of National Advertisers & American Association of Advertising Agencies), Centraal Corporation, Cisco, Compaq, Comm Touch Software, Computer Systems Policy Project, Council of Growing Companies, Dell, Direct Marketing Association, Disney, Dun & Bradstreet, Eastman Kodak, Co., eBay Inc., EDventure Holdings, Electronic Data Systems, E-LOAN, Engage Technologies, Inc., Equifax, European-American Business Council, Ernst and Young, Experian, Ford, Gateway, GeoCities, FASTForward/Internet Advertising Bureau, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Individual Reference Services Group, Software and Information Industry Association, Information Technology Association of America, Information Technology Industry Council, Intel Corporation, InsWeb Corporation, Interactive Digital Software Association, Interactive Travel Services Association, Internet Alliance, KPMG, LEXIS-NEXIS, MatchLogic, MCI, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, Narrowline Inc., NCR, Nestle USA, NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc., Netscape, Network Risk Management Services, L.L.C., NORTEL Networks/Northern Telecom Ltd., Northpole.com L.L.C., Oracle, Preview Travel, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, Rights Exchange, Inc., Sun Microsystems, Time Warner Inc., Unilever United States, Inc., The United States Chamber of Commerce, The United States Council for International Business, Viacom, Viewcall Canada, Inc., Virtual Vineyards, Webconnect, Women.com Networks, Xerox, and Yahoo!.