It's too soon for a 'Do Not Track' law

[Commentary] A Federal Trade Commission plan and a congressional hearing this week have raised the intriguing notion of a "Do Not Track" feature on Web browsers, allowing consumers to block advertisers from collecting data on the sites they visit and the purchases they make. Several lawmakers say they'll introduce legislation to require it, even though the FTC didn't recommend that.

It's too soon for government intervention. But the Internet industry is on notice: It must aggressively respond to legitimate privacy concerns or be prepared for Congress to step in, as it eventually did with "Do Not Call" legislation for phone solicitors. The industry should be responding better to privacy concerns. But given the abundance of nascent ideas, it's too soon for government intervention -- if only because of how quickly regulations would become obsolete. The FTC framework this week should serve as a warning to Internet companies that if they don't move quickly and aggressively, Congress will step in.