People

Schwartz: Focusing on searchability

When it comes to online searches, people are concerned with what they aren't finding.

People

Schwartz: Let's not relive TIA

Those gathering data for counterterrorism must do a better job of ensuring privacy protection from the start.

Digital Government

Privacy made simple for high-tech minds

New books make difficult issue more manageable

People

E-Government Act essential

Commentary: We shouldn't get too caught up in the details of these worthwhile provisions

Digital Government

The P3P basics

It is easy for agencies that already have privacy policies to create a P3P statement.

Digital Government

Bush sends bad message

Bush's statement has put many defenders of government transparency on high alert.

Digital Government

Peer-to-peer in practice

'Peer-to-Peer: Harnessing the Power of Disruptive Technologies' addresses peer-to-peer's potential and avoids becoming trapped in intellectual property law.

Digital Government

Privacy at the crossroads

Americans lack the privacy protections they think they should have.

People

A Supreme effort

As a beacon of hope in 2000's election morass, significant advances emerged in government's use of the Web

Digital Government

An unseemly 60-day rule

During this past election season, we were reminded of the ludicrous rule preventing senators from updating their official Web sites within the 60 days before an election.

Digital Government

A law in need of a new look

The revelation that the federal Office of Drug Control Policy was using profiling cookies to collect data on visitors to its Web site was just one of several recent incidents that have raised concerns about how the government collects personal information online.

People

Mirror, mirror on the Web

Many similarities exist between egovernment and ecommerce. Both government and commercial Web sites can provide streamlined and efficient services. Both are available around the clock to harried folks who otherwise would have to take time off work to visit a store or office during normal business hours or hold for 'the next available operator.'

Digital Government

Give privacy post some clout

Two years ago, Vice President Al Gore announced that the Clinton administration was creating the position of chief privacy counselor within the Office of Management and Budget

Digital Government

When the 'cookie' crumbles

In the wake of the revelation that the White House Office of Drug Control Policy's relationship with Internet advertiser DoubleClick Inc. was causing the White House to violate its own privacy policy, Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew has issued a memorandum enforcing stricter privacy controls.

Digital Government

Privacy/access trade-offs

Privacy and access to government information are two core American values. Often, they are compatible. Both serve the goal of constraining government power, and they have a common enemy in government secrecy.

People

Making documents smarter

Does making government more accessible need to be so difficult? In the Information Age, shouldn't there be an easier way to locate documents and to predesignate what is public and what is not?

People

Making the Web safe

Agencies must highlight privacy from the onset as part of the design of any new system.

Digital Government

Guarding privacy

Americans' privacy fears have always been focused first and foremost on government intrusions. The Founding Fathers tried to allay these fears in the Fourth Amendment; Congress passed laws, including the Privacy Act of 1974 and the wiretap law; and court decisions also have tried to protect privacy.

Digital Government

Campaign Finance Laws Stifle the Electronic Soapbox

As the increasingly wired Year 2000 political races heat up, we are faced with considerable uncertaintyand some ominous initial signalsover the application of campaign finance laws to campaignrelated speech and political activities on the Internet. So far, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) h

Digital Government

Federal Web sites should be more like these

Recently, the Center for Democracy and Technology and OMB Watch released a list of the '10 Most Wanted' government documents. The initiative was a response to the failure of many federal agencies to place government information online, where it would be readily accessible to members of the public,