Privacy bills will survive election storm

Though some tech-related bills will live or die depending on this week's election results, online privacy legislation is likely to survive the midterm storm, according to observers who track the issue.

House Democrats have pushed for privacy legislation that would force online marketers to disclose when they are following customers' activities online. But the effort is likely to have strong prospects for passage in the next Congress no matter which party controls the chamber. House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) has championed stricter privacy rules this year, drafting a bill to rein in online marketers. But Rep Boucher is in a tight race to retain his seat against Republican Morgan Griffith. If Boucher is defeated on Tuesday, online privacy advocates could lose one of their most effective allies in the House. But telecom lobbyists say that even if Democrats lose control of the House on Tuesday, Republicans are likely to press ahead with online privacy legislation in the next Congress.