Arlington, VA, May 9, 2000 - BBBOnLine, a subsidiary of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, today reached a new milestone, having awarded its Privacy Seal to 500 websites. The BBBOnLine Privacy Program continues to receive an increasing number of applications and has hundreds of companies in the process of applying for the seal.

"Companies that have completed the comprehensive process to earn what is described as the gold seal of privacy trustmarks should be congratulated. They are making a strong statement about their commitment to honor their online privacy policies," said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Consumers will find the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal on a range of websites, from small one-person businesses to huge multi-national corporations, such as AT&T, Dell, Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, MCI and Procter and Gamble. Major children’s oriented sites such as Nick.com carry the BBBOnLine Kids Privacy seal. The program’s success reaches beyond the U.S., with applications coming in from countries around the world.

"The BBBOnLine brand carries with it the trust and confidence that consumers expect from Better Business Bureau programs," said Russell Bodoff, senior vice president and COO of BBBOnLine. "More and more websites now post a privacy policy. Consumers are looking for companies to take this one step further and demonstrate that they stand behind their privacy policies. The BBBOnLine Privacy Program allows companies to signify this commitment using a well-recognized and respected seal."

Companies applying for the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal undergo an extensive review to verify that they handle their online customers’ personal data according to the comprehensive requirements set by the program. Websites qualifying for the seal must post a privacy policy that is easy to find, easy to read and easy to understand. The posted policy must include information on choice regarding use of data, access to data, transfer of information to third parties, data integrity, and security.

BBBOnLine Privacy Seal holders agree to be randomly monitored to help ensure compliance with posted policies. In addition, seal holders agree to participate in the program’s dispute resolution system that provides a consumer-friendly dispute settlement process and offers specific consequences for non-compliance, such as seal withdrawal, publicity and referral to government enforcement agencies.

To see a complete list of both Reliability and Privacy seal program participants, or to view the draft BBB Code of Online Business Practices, go to http://www.bbbonline.org.