European national privacy regulators, which are monitoring compliance with EU data protection rules, will adopt a recommendation by their Internet Task Force, claiming that the privacy concerns related to .Net Passport have been exaggerated, Reuters reports.
Microsoft's .NET Password allows users to use one set of registration details across all participating web sites. It allows consumers to store passwords, credit card numbers and other personal information in one location. It is believed to have more than 100 million users worldwide.
The EU has been investigating .Net Passport since March 2002, after Dutch MEP Erik Meijer expressed concerns that, failing to register with .NET would result in the exclusion of a user from many web sites' services and that the system does not offer an unsubscribe option.
He claimed that, through the service, a "vast amount" of users' personal information could be passed to unknown parties.