TRUSTe Available to Comment on Verizon-RIAA Privacy Suit

Online Privacy Group Believes Decision to Have Chilling Effect on Trust Online

San Francisco – February 18, 2003 – TRUSTe, the leading privacy certification and seal program, applauds Verizon's efforts to protect to the legal limits its customers' right to privacy.

"As a long-time sponsor and TRUSTe licensee, Verizon's commitment to customer privacy has never wavered," said Fran Maier, Executive Director and President of TRUSTe. "The standard applied to the RIAA subpoena makes it appear to be susceptible to abuse. And, whether finally held as legal, could weaken protection against the uninformed sharing of personally identifiable information with a third party that is the expectation between trusted companies and customers on the Internet."

"In seeking the identity of a Verizon customers Œsuspected' of downloading music files, the court actions will have a chilling effect on trust between consumers and their ISPs," added Maier. "Any action that drives a wedge between consumers and their ISPs stands to have a negative effect on the growth of the Internet – from education to e-commerce."

About TRUSTe
TRUSTe is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling individuals and organizations to establish trusting relationships based on respect for personal identity and information in the evolving networked world.

Founded in 1997, TRUSTe runs an award-winning global privacy certification and seal program. Its seal programs are considered Safe Harbors for the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the EU Safe Harbor Framework. Today, TRUSTe maintains the largest privacy seal program with more than 1,400 Web sites certified throughout the world including AOL, Microsoft, IBM, Nationwide and The New York Times. TRUSTe's mission extends standards, certification and oversight into email with Bonded Sender and wireless with the Wireless Advisory Committee. For more information on TRUSTe please visit www.truste.org.

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Ponemon Institute