FAIR INFORMATION PRACTICES: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW OF THE FORTUNE 500

Fair Information Practices, based upon the principles of notice, choice, access, and security, are utilized to ensure effective privacy protection for individuals. However, during the past years, there has been an increasing incidence of personal data losses at major corporations. This study was conducted to examine the policies of the largest companies, the Fortune 500, to determine if the above-named principles are promoted. Findings demonstrate that nearly all the firms have their policies posted online and that most policies describe the four principles. However, although data collection is extensively used and detailed, there appears to be a disconnect with respect to security techniques.