Forwarded From: phreak moi <hackerelitet_private> http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,27379,00.html?st.ne.fd.mdh Countries meet on Net security By Reuters Special to CNET News.com October 9, 1998, 2:45 p.m. PT OTTAWA--Much like teachers who scheme to prevent schoolchildren from cheating on tests, government ministers from around the world toiled on ways to guard the security of firms and people doing business on the Internet. Government representatives from most of the 29 developed countries that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development discussed yesterday the need for safety of data and privacy for Internet users. They are under pressure to produce standards for taxation, privacy, and security at the final of three OECD conferences held over the last year and a half on the subject. E-commerce is expected to soar from about $32 billion this year to a mind-boggling $1 trillion in 2002. OECD leaders have agreed to allow the private sector to help them forge a set of guidelines on e-commerce, which could prompt other nations to follow. U.S. Secretary of Commerce William Daley, mindful of the fact that more than 80 percent of e-commerce originates in the United States, argued that businesses should make the rules. "The private sector should lead and let the market figure out how to satisfy consumers," he said. IBM chief executive Louis Gerstner agreed, reminding government leaders not to create overly strict rules to deal with fraud artists and mavericks. "I personally think self-regulation can and will work better, but I'm also a realist and it may be that the only workable solution will be to respect each other's differences and hammer out a working relationship," he told the 700 participants. However, the 15-member European Union has already adopted a strict data privacy law that takes effect on October 25. Daley has argued that the two factions should quickly bridge their difference in opinion. "To be frank, we must succeed or millions of transactions between the United States and Europe may be blocked," he said. Gerstner also called for standardized rules on privacy worldwide. The OECD conference also will cover taxation of goods bought and sold over the Net. Yesterday, an OECD arm adopted a joint declaration, which said no new taxes should be levied on the Internet. -o- Subscribe: mail majordomot_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Repent Security Incorporated [www.repsec.com]
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