Internet Bigwigs Fight NY Law on Tracking Web Users

Google, Yahoo and a bevy of Internet biggies have joined to fight a proposed New York state law that would limit their ability to collect information about people's web habits for advertisers, reports the Wall Street Journal. The coalition says the law would endanger the future of online advertising and “the availability of free content on the Internet.”

But the bill’s Democratic sponsor says the companies simply want the right to invade people's privacy, "and we're not going to let them do that." The group—which also includes eBay, Comcast, AOL, EDS, Facebook, Monster and Reed Elsevier—says the law is both unconsitutional and unncessary because the industry already polices itself. (More Internet advertising stories.)