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The Center for Democracy and Technology /____/ Volume 4, Number 14
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A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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CDT POLICY POST Volume 4, Number 14 June 12, 1998
CONTENTS: (1) FTC Releases Report to Congress on Privacy Online: CDT
Says It's Time for FTC to Act
(2) Let Your Voice Be Heard on Privacy: File Comments at CDT's
Page for Dept. of Commerce Privacy Elements Paper
(3) Visit CDT's New Guide to Online Privacy
(4) How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
(5) About CDT, Contacting us
** This document may be redistributed freely with this banner intact **
Excerpts may be re-posted with permission of gbrowning@cdt.org
|PLEASE SEE END OF THIS DOCUMENT FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO
SUBSCRIBE, AND HOW TO UN-SUBSCRIBE|
_______________________________________________________________________________
(1) FTC RELEASES REPORT TO CONGRESS ON PRIVACY ONLINE: CDT SAYS IT'S TIME
FOR FTC TO ACT
On Thursday June 4, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its report
to Congress on the state of privacy on the Web. The report included a
survey of over 1,400 sites and found that only 2% of the sites had adequate
privacy policies. The report looked into several different areas but only
recommended Congressional action to protect children.
CDT believes that the FTC should immediately take steps to ensure that
internationally accepted principles for protecting personal information
become the baseline for privacy protection during all online activities.
The report and analysis available at:
http://www.cdt.org/privacy/
CDT's press release on the report is available at
http://www.cdt.org/press/060498press.html
_______________________________________________________________________________
(2) LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD ON PRIVACY: FILE COMMENTS AT CDT'S WEB PAGE
FOR DEPT. OF COMMERCE PRIVACY ELEMENTS PAPER
Department of Commerce Asks for Public Comment
and announces Summit on Privacy (June 23-24)
The Department of Commerce recently released its paper on the 'Elements of
Effective Self Regulation for the Protection of Privacy' for public
comment. This paper goes beyond the issues of notice and choice raised by
the FTC's report and outlines a wide range of principles necessary to
protect privacy including mechanisms to ensure compliance and provide
consumer redress.
CDT plans to submit comments on this important paper in the near future and
encourages you to do so too. To aid in this process CDT has created this
page http://www.cdt.org/privacy/survey/
at which you may submit comments directly to the Department of Commerce. A
copy of your letter will also be sent to CDT so that we can compile an
independent record of the public's
thoughts on privacy.
CDT has highlighted sections of the paper by asking specific questions. You
should feel free to answer some or all of the questions,or to write
directly to the Department of Commerce at: privacy@ntia.doc.gov. Comments
will be accepted until July 6. The 'Elements' paper and other issues will
be discussed in a public meeting June 23-24 at the Department of Commerce,
in Washington. CDT will keep you updated.
_____________________________________________________________________________
(3) VISIT CDT'S NEW GUIDE TO ONLINE PRIVACY
CDT has created a Web based 'Guide to Online Privacy' in order to encourage
greater public awareness about privacy issues. In addition to providing an
outline of privacy, the guide provides information on laws, current
legislation, definitions and links to other important sorces of
information. The guide is still under construction but will be completed
soon and updated continually. It is available at:
http://www.cdt.org/privacy/guide/
_______________________________________________________________________________
(4) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Be sure you are up to date on the latest public policy issues affecting
civil liberties online and how they will affect you! Subscribe to the CDT
Policy Post news distribution list. CDT Policy Posts, the regular news
publication of the Center For Democracy and Technology, are received by
more than 13,000 Internet users, industry leaders, policy makers and
activists, and have become the leading source for information about
critical free speech and privacy issues affecting the Internet and other
interactive communications media.
To subscribe to CDT's Policy Post list, send mail to
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If you ever wish to remove yourself from the list, send mail to the above
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_____________________________________________________________________________
(5) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance democratic values and
constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications
technologies.
Contacting us:
General information: info@cdt.org
World Wide Web: http://www.cdt.org/
Snail Mail: The Center for Democracy and Technology
1634 Eye Street NW * Suite 1100 * Washington, DC 20006
(v) +1.202.637.9800 * (f) +1.202.637.0968
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End Policy Post 4.14 6/21/98
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