IP: INTEL CHAIRMAN SAYS HE FAVORS SALES TAX ON INTERNET PURCHASES: Edupage, 7 June 2000

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

>Intel Chairman Andrew Grove, speaking before a congressional
>committee yesterday, caused a stir in the Internet industry by
>declaring his support for Internet sales taxes and federal laws
>governing online privacy.  Grove's support of the two most
>controversial issues facing the Internet industry stand in marked
>contrast to the stance taken by the great majority of his peers.
>Grove stated that it is technically feasible to collect online
>taxes, the jumble of different tax jurisdictions notwithstanding.
>Priceline.com founder Jay Walker argued that online companies do
>collect some taxes and that the Internet is not a "tax-free
>zone," but Grove disagreed.  Grove told the committee that he
>believes Internet privacy laws are inevitable and would represent
>a better choice than the tangle of laws that could result if
>privacy legislation is left in the hands of the states.  Consumer
>data is private property that cannot be properly protected by
>industry self-regulation efforts, Grove indicated.
>(Wall Street Journal, 7 June 2000)