he dark side of the Internet revolution is the unprecedented access corporations now have to our private information. Financial data, Social Security numbers, home addresses — all can be collected when we go online and sold to third parties without our knowledge. A bill working its way through the Senate, the Online Personal Privacy Act, would give individuals more control. It includes an array of common-sense protections, like a requirement that consumers give their consent before companies sell or trade their Social Security numbers.

The bill faces fierce opposition from the technology, financial services and health care industries. Its opponents will not admit that there is money to be made invading privacy and selling sensitive information.

Instead, they have introduced an array of red herrings, like objections that the bill does not do enough to protect privacy offline. But offline privacy is a separate issue that can be addressed with a separate law. They are also upset that the bill gives individuals whose privacy rights have been infringed the right to sue. But the only way the law will have any force is if companies know they can be held accountable by their victims.

Tom Daschle, the Senate majority leader, should make this bill a priority. The House needs to pass its own bill, which will require going back to the drafting table: the privacy bill it has now is toothless, and far worse than the Senate version. With Republicans in charge of the House, Republican congressmen who care about privacy will have to fight for a stronger bill.

Opponents of online privacy are making a cynical calculation. They know that killing the bill means a lot to some generous campaign contributors. And they are betting that no one else is paying attention. But poll after poll has found that voters care deeply about how data is collected about them online. And many will be collecting some information of their own — on which way members of Congress vote on this important bill.