Browser Security News

A recent study has found that costly regulatory systems that place strict controls and regulations on Web site operators may not have their desired effect on online security. Instead, a self-regulatory system may be the best way of encouraging browser privacy on the Internet.

Internet users are typically asked to submit some personal information before transacting online. The study, run by Karim Jamal of the University of Alberta’s School of Business, analysed how this information was used by the top 100 US-based online brokerages and businesses, including popular names like eBay. These Web sites were compared against 56 similar sites based in the UK.

At the time of the study, laws that now govern US-based Web site operators were not yet put in place so the Internet was a largely self-regulated domain. UK-based online operators, on the other hand, had their actions regulated and monitored by a large government bureaucracy. Computerworld | Internet regulations compromise browser privacy