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The internet is constantly growing and is a developing entity that will be around for a very long time. We currently live in a society where legal and ethical limits are pushed to the max and there is an attitude if there are no rules against something then it must be alright to do. Because of this, it makes sense for us to think about the legal, ethical and regulatory issues of e-commerce. I will briefly discuss the importance of these issues for e-businesses to consider. Additionally, I will discuss how Maritz Inc., Travelocity and The Susan G. Komen Foundation handle security, confidentiality and international issues on its websites.

Trust is at the center of all these issues. What an organization states on its website is a reflection of how the rest of the world views them. When dealing with ethics, there is a level of trust and responsibility that is communicated. An organization must be very careful is using words that are factual. An organization must be sure to evaluate its web content on a regular basis so it is current and accurate. For example, The Susan G. Komen Foundation must make sure they properly appropriate its funds. The Maritz organization and Travelocity must prevent fraud by properly using personal information in the way it was intended.

The internet will be affecting more lives than ever before so security and privacy as well as regulatory issues will become more important. There are many legal and regulatory issues involved with going to the web. Some of these issues include privacy, tariffs, electronic copyright, and cash policies, to name a few. There is a lack of consistent rules and procedures since e-business is a new trend. There are also issues related to taxes which need to be carefully considered and reviewed by organizations due to the business of buying and selling being conducted frequently beyond the boundaries of any one country. The role of government and other countries laws are just a couple of the many issues of importance to be considered by each of the organizations previously mentioned. Abiding by the laws and regulations of other countries is critical if organizations choose to do business internationally and to be successful. They must do their homework. I have briefly described the ethical, legal and regulatory issues all must consider, not just the organizations discussed here. I am now going to discuss the security, confidentiality and international issues each of my organizations have considered and the measures taken.

Security

Maritz does not handle any monetary transactions over the internet; they merely provide information to potential clients. According to the Maritz Inc. website, they take “reasonable precautions to protect personal data from loss, misuse, tampering, destruction and unauthorized access. These precautions include password protections for on-line information systems, restricted access to personal data with the Human Resources Division, and other measures implemented by Maritz Global Technology Services and other Maritz divisions” (Maritz, 2006). Maritz has considered the security of its employees as well as its clients.

Travelocity guarantees the safety of online purchases. The organization backs every online purchase with its “Shop Safe Guarantee” (Travelocity, 2006) because they are confident the consumer’s credit card transaction is secure. Travelocity uses the latest encryption technology to guarantee every transaction is safe and secure (Travelocity, 2006). In the event of the unauthorized use of a consumer’s credit card, Travelocity has provided procedures on its website. The website also provides a “MasterCard Zero Liability” clause for its MasterCard consumers (Travelocity, 2006). However, even with all the security, there are still some consumers uncomfortable with providing credit card information over the internet. Travelocity has considered these consumers and provides a toll-free number to call or fax the information in the United States. If a consumer is outside of the US, the organization has provided an alternate number.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation is committed to securing the information collected online. The following steps were pulled from its website (Komen, 2006):

* Employ internal access controls to ensure the only people who see personal information are those with a need to perform official duties

* Train relevant personnel on privacy and security measures

* Physically secure areas where they hold hard copies of the information collected online

* Regularly back up the information collected online to ensure against loss

* Use technical controls to secure the information including but not limited to Secure Socket Layer (SSL), encryption, firewalls and password protections

* Periodically test security procedures to ensure personnel and technical compliance

All these steps are taken in addition to using digital certificates issued by VeriSign. These steps not only protect the personal information collected, but emphasize the security of any purchases or donations made online. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has done a very good job at communicating this to its website visitors.

Confidentiality

I interpret confidentiality to mean the same as privacy. So with this in mind, I researched each of the aforementioned organizations privacy policies posted on the web. Each organization has stated the purpose behind its privacy policy. I saw some commonalities in each policy; some consistent information is as follows:

* The collection and use of personal information

* The use of cookies, other technologies or third parties

* Security

In addition to this information, each has instructed consumers to visit the policy frequently for changes. Each organization has been very thorough in protecting themselves from any liability and made it very clear privacy is very important to them.

International Issues

Maritz Inc. has businesses in various European states and Canada. The website states the use of the Safe Harbor Agreement pertaining to the transfer of personal data between the European Union and the United States. Additionally, Maritz follows the Safe Harbor principles published by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding personal data (Maritz, 2006). However, there may be instances where it is necessary to meet national security, public interest or law enforcement requirements (Maritz, 2006). All employee personnel have been instructed to familiarize and comply with these provisions.

Travelocity has international sites in 13 different countries besides the United States (Travelocity, 2006). Each of these sites are in the native language of the residents. The issues they face are the governmental regulations of each of these countries. Obviously, the rules are going to be quite different and Travelocity must have the knowledge in each area to be sure of its compliance with these regulations. We have seen many examples in other industries regarding the translation of verbiage. Travelocity will need to be sure the translation is appropriate and not offensive. Another issue to consider is the value of money in each of these countries. Money values change daily and they will need to be sure to update its website accordingly. Out of each organization I have researched, I see Travelocity facing more International challenges than the other organizations.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation does not perform any international activities at this time. There are many issues every organization, whether “brick and mortar” or those online must consider. I have outlined the importance of ethical considerations as well as dealing with security, privacy and international issues. Many of the issues discussed above, interrelate with each other. As long as organizations follow the issues closely, there will not be many issues to deal with at a later time. Therefore, as long as organizations do a good job at communicating to its publics, they can and will be successful in e-commerce.