Smart Bits: Smart Card Forum Issues Guidelines on Privacy

The Smart Card Forum has published privacy guidelines that it said are the first to apply across multiple industries.

The voluntary principles include identifying and respecting consumers' privacy expectations, limiting the use and collection of information to what is necessary to conclude a transaction, and giving consumers the opportunity to remove their names from marketing and mailing lists.

"Consumers need assurances that personal information will be handled responsibly," said Jean McKenna, president of the forum and vice president of Visa International. "This initiative proactively addresses the overwhelmingly positive attributes of products and services enabled by smart card technology."

The forum announced the guidelines at a symposium it sponsored in May.

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