White House Calls for Online 'Privacy Bill of Rights'

The Obama administration has called for a "privacy bill of rights" to protect consumer privacy on the Internet.

The Commerce Department released an 88-page report that also proposed a Privacy Policy Office to coordinate online privacy issues, The Wall Street Journal said.

Consumer concern about Internet privacy has grown in recent years. Mozilla and Microsoft (MSFT) are both working to improve privacy controls in their Web browsers.

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission called for a "do not track" system that would allow people to surf the Web without divulging their information.

"Self-regulation without stronger enforcement is not enough," said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. "People want to know that their information is going to be safe."

The report will provide a "road map" for lawmakers working on privacy issues, Locke said.