Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. told U.S. lawmakers that Congress should pass privacy laws that would protect consumer information online, “such as the data being gathered about people's Web surfing habits in order to pinpoint Internet advertising,” the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The rules should be made based on three main principles: “Consumers should be clearly notified what information is being collected about them; people should control how that information is used; and such data should be secured to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands,” according to the AP report, posted by Media InfoCenter.

The Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Internet advertising was held due to heightened concern over the amount of personal information gathered as people surf the Web, such as which sites they go to and search terms they look up, the AP reported.

Microsoft supports the idea that the industry regulate itself, and although privacy is important, “online advertising is the engine that drives the Internet economy,” said Mike Hintze, associate general counsel for Microsoft, in a testimony at the hearing, the AP reported.