Consumer Privacy

• Businesses have a responsibility to alert customers about how any personal information collected on their website will be used. This notification can come in the form of a posted privacy disclosure or specific messaging during the collection process. Based on the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, businesses must take steps to prevent collecting personal information from children under 13 years of age without parental consent.
  
  

Accuracy

• The promotion of products online should be based on a high level of accuracy. Deceptive advertisements or misleading claims about promotions, product quality or product benefits may run afoul of Federal Trade Commission guidelines and laws. Health-related claims, environmental claims and jewelry quality claims must be clear and supported by accurate descriptions and product testing or medical evidence, as appropriate. Testimonies used in Internet-based advertisements must illustrate the experience of actual consumers. Clear and visible disclaimers may be need on business websites, especially ones that operate in the medical, finance or legal industries.
  
  

Spam

• Preventing negative press or reactions from customers requires following basic Internet etiquette guidelines, such as avoiding spam-like advertising methods, using an opt-in email communication system and always responding to customers in a positive, professional manner. Based on the CAN-SPAM Act, each email message a business distributes must include a physical address listing for the business and should use clear subject lines and headers.
  
  

Messaging

• Clear messages are essential on the Internet, regardless of whether a message is casually posted on a message board or is part of an official media campaign. All affiliated employees and business affiliates should be given instructions on how to present information on the Web as to enhance the business's image. For example, messages should avoid using all caps, as it can be viewed as "shouting" or offensive by readers. Messages should be clear, professional and friendly, but should avoid using excess punctuation that could be viewed as amateurish.