Discusses the development a national information policy in the United Kingdom (UK): policies for national information infrastructures, electronic information services, privacy and data protection, copyright, public and national libraries; reviews problems inhibiting Internet use; compares the UK's and the European Commission's approaches to…

Addresses concerns about school personnel records and legal precedents regarding privacy. Recommends inclusion in teacher education of content about teachers' privacy rights. Lists fair information practices for schools regarding the accuracy of and access to personnel records. (SK)

The right to privacy is a firmly entrenched democratic principle that has been inferred in the U.S. Constitution and protected by the Fourteenth Amendment as a liberty of personal autonomy. It is the statutory right to privacy that has been most closely aligned with data protection as a form of self-protection. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission…

Examines the role of self-regulation in the establishment of an informational privacy policy. Discusses information technologies and changes in commerce; personal information in databases; demands for accountability; institutional and enforcement models; legislation; government failures; self-regulation and the individual; and potential problems…

Students, parents, and the general public are interested in what is happening in their schools. The ability to communicate openly and effectively can help generate a positive image that builds a community's confidence in schools. Although open communication can thus be beneficial, much of the information people want is subject to privacy laws:…

Discusses implications of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, antiterrorism legislation that was passed after the September 11 attacks, regarding privacy issues. Highlights include information privacy; privacy and government, including increases in the surveillance powers of government; privacy and the private sector; and future possibilities. (Author/LRW)

The United States has taken only piecemeal steps to ensure privacy of personal information. This article examines the U.S. relating to privacy and data protection. It defines privacy and discusses international agreements relating to privacy, federal data protection laws, and narrowly applicable laws. (AEF)

The goals of the Fourth Annual Aspen Institute Roundtable on International Telecommunications were: to address procedural and substantive solutions for international coordination of Internet policy issues; to suggest different models for dispute resolution and policy coordination that might be employed in the various contexts of Internet usage;…

Reviews policy issues surrounding decisions by governments to make available or to withhold information from government files that can be linked to identifiable individuals. Outlines the debate over access to public records, identifies policies that impact on disclosure decisions, and discusses options and approaches to address access and privacy…

Examines Internet security risks and how users can protect themselves. Discusses inadvertent bugs in software; programming problems with Common Gateway Interface (CGI); viruses; tracking of Web users; and preventing access to selected Web pages and filtering software. A glossary of Internet security-related terms is included. (AEF)

Examines the established data protection policy in the United Kingdom, to provide some context and background against which to judge existing and evolving U.S. policies. The Data Protection Act of 1984, the Council of Europe Convention on Data Protection, and the European Union Data Protection Directive are discussed. Online sources of further…

These six articles related to government information policies in New Zealand cover topics including policy reform, legislation, the office of privacy commissioner, organizing statistics, the restructuring of the National Archives of New Zealand, and the policy role of the national library. (BEW)

Asserts that the federal government should adopt a centralized governmental structure for the privacy protection of personal information and data. Discusses the roles of federal law, federal agencies, and the judiciary; the concept of information privacy; the impact of current technologies; and models of centralized government structures for…

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 (PL. 104-191) is a multitiered, comprehensive, convoluted, and controversial federal law for sweeping health care reform. Although HIPAA is dramatically broader in scope than privacy protections for health care information, a provision for privacy in the form of a Privacy Rule…

Examines aspects of cyberspace policy: Internet content and expectations; privacy: medical information and data collected by the government; and the regulation of offensive material: the Communications Decency Act, Internet filters, and the American Library Association's proactive great Web sites for children. Suggests that even "child…