Is the Debate Over Data and Online Privacy Misguided?

Consumers have long been trading their personal data in return for access to Web sites like Facebook. The tradeoff has worked well for both companies and consumers but, as the pool of data grows bigger, so have concerns over privacy.

Politicians and the media have been quick to tout ideas like “opt-out” or “do-not-track” but, according to companies that depend on data, these so-called solutions are misguided and could compromise future innovation.

Ashlie Beringer, partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, is an attorney who has represented companies like Facebook and Flurry ...