Washington - A group of key U.S. House lawmakers last week sent a letter to 33 Internet firms and broadband service providers, pressing them for information about the extent to which they collect information on consumers' Web surfing habits for the purpose of targeting advertising. The letter was sent by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and ranking members Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) to a group of ISPs and other relevant firms that includes AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Comcast (NASD: CMCSA) and Google (NASD: GOOG).

Congress is already investigating the tracking of consumers' Web surfing by broadband provider Embarq, and ad technology provider NebuAd -- and also pressured ISP Charter to delay deploying such a system.

"This sweeping ability to collect, analyze, and profile how individuals use their broadband connection raises clear privacy issues and I believe such activity should occur only with the express prior consent of individual citizens," Rep. Markey said in a statement.

"In addition, individual websites and search engines and their affiliates that monitor users also owe consumers constructive notice of such activities and the right to limit or thwart any personal data collection."

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/3apyq (Rep. Markey statement)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080801/ap_on_hi_te/web_tracking_6 (AP)