The Federal Tax Authority has announced the launch of an online petition that supports the Main Street Fairness Act, a bill that aims to help online consumers protect their personal information.

Congress is currently considering the bill which would simplify the present tax collection laws that require states to enact reporting laws which could put consumer privacy at risk. It would require out-of-state retailers to collect tax, eliminating the need for consumers to report and submit sales tax for online purchases.

Few online shoppers record and submit their online sales tax information, which has spurned the trend of internet retailers reporting the information on their own, a practice that some consumer advocacy groups see as risky.

"Collecting personally identifiable information about online purchases is the wrong way to go - it violates consumers' privacy," said CEO of FedTax.net, R. David L. Campbell.

Protecting one's information when shopping online should be a priority, as there are approximately 9 million cases of identity theft in the U.S. every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Using a secure payment system when shopping online is a good way to keep sensitive data secure.