BBBOnLine Invited to Advise on Consumer Protection and Privacy Elements of New E-Commerce Product.

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1999--BBBOnLine announced today that it will lend its extensive experience in consumer protection on the Internet to assisting Microsoft Corp. in developing a new product that will complement the new BBBOnLine privacy seal.

BBBOnLine is the online division of the Better Business Bureau.

BBBOnLine will lend the Better Business Bureau's 85 years of experience in consumer protection to the creation of the new product, called Microsoft Passport. Microsoft Passport will provide consumers with greater convenience, privacy, security and personalization online through a single network sign-in, registration and wallet.

These services will be implemented on the MSN network of Internet services and Microsoft sites, as well as other third-party member sites. In accordance with Microsoft's privacy principles, Passport will keep consumers in complete control of their information. Microsoft Passport will only be extended to Web sites that agree with these principles and whose privacy policies qualify for a privacy seal from a recognized provider.

"We are pleased to be involved with the planning and implementation of Microsoft Passport, an initiative which demonstrates the company's commitment to building consumer confidence in cyberspace by putting consumers in control of their information and protecting their privacy and security," said Russell Bodoff, senior vice president and CEO of BBBOnLine.

BBBOnLine later this month will launch its new privacy seal program, which already has been called the "gold standard of privacy trustmarks on the World Wide Web." To qualify for a BBBOnLine privacy seal, a company must undergo a rigorous assessment to determine not only if it has an adequate privacy policy but also if it has processes and personnel to implement the policy.

Companies that qualify for the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal also must agree to participate in a state-of-the-art dispute resolution system for responding to consumer complaints about possible violations of their privacy.

"We are very pleased that BBBOnline will help us design the privacy and security features on Microsoft Passport," said Dennis Tevlin, general manager, MSN marketing, Microsoft. "Their involvement underscores our commitment to protect consumers' privacy online and to create a more secure and trusted shopping experience for our customers.

Microsoft is a Corporate Sponsor of BBBOnLine and has supported the creation of the BBBOnLine Privacy Seal Program. BBBOnLine already runs the most successful trustmark program on the Web. More than 2,000 companies carry the BBBOnLine Reliability Seal that assures consumers a web site stands behind its goods and services.

Companies interested in learning more about the Reliability Program or applying for the new BBBOnLine Privacy Seal should visit the web site, http://www.bbbonline.org.