15 May 1998
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/library.html

White House Press Release

VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES NEW COMPREHENSIVE PRIVACY ACTION PLAN FOR THE 21ST CENTURY 




                            THE WHITE HOUSE


                     Office of the Vice President
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       May 14, 1998


        


                   VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES NEW 
                   COMPREHENSIVE PRIVACY ACTION PLAN 
                         FOR THE 21ST CENTURY



    Washington, DC -- Vice President Gore announced today a new 
comprehensive privacy action plan from the Clinton Administration that 
will give people more control over their own personal information.


    We need an electronic bill of rights for this electronic age, the 
Vice President said.  Americans should have the right to choose whether 
their personal information is disclosed; they should have the right to 
know how, when, and how much of that information is being used; and 
they should have the right to see it themselves, to know if it's 
accurate.


    Speaking at New York University's 166th Commencement, the Vice 
President announced new efforts to promote privacy including:  calling 
for legislation to restrict how individual medical records can be used 
and allow individuals to be informed about their use, and launching a 
new opt-out Website where individuals can prevent personal information 
from being passed on to others.


    In addition, the Vice President called on the federal government to 
review its own record-keeping to protect personal information from 
being released.  He also announced that the Administration will convene 
a privacy Summit that will bring privacy and consumer advocates 
together with industry officials to explore privacy on the Internet as 
well as children's privacy.


    Specifically:
  
    Medical Privacy.  Vice President Gore called on Congress to pass 
strict medical records legislation to restrict how and when individuals'
medical records can be used; give individuals the chance to correct 
those records; and give patients the right to be informed about them.


    One Stop Opt-Out.  The Vice President announced a new website 
sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission and located at 
www.consumer.gov that will enable individuals to:


    Prohibit companies from pre-screening their credit records 
    without their permission;


    Prevent their drivers' license data from being sold to data 
    miners; and


    Remove their name and address from direct-mailing and 
    telemarketing lists.
 
    Ensure Appropriate Use of Federal Government Data.  The Vice 
President announced that the President has signed a new Presidential 
Memorandum to agency heads, effective today, that:  1) requires 
agencies to ensure that new technologies do not erode Privacy Act 
protections while also examining how new technologies can be used to 
enhance personal privacy, 2) calls for a thorough agency-by-agency 
review of existing privacy practices, and 3) directs the Office of 
Management and Budget to conduct a review and issue guidance on the 
way agencies can protect privacy information, especially when they 
collaborate with state and local governments.


    Privacy Summit.  To fully understand and address the complex issues 
involved with privacy in the Information Age, the Vice President called 
on the Commerce Department to convene a Summit on Privacy within the 
next month to bring privacy and consumer advocates together with 
industry officials to explore the feasibility and limitations of the 
application of self regulation to the Internet and to focus on 
children's privacy.


                                  ###

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Work/051498.html

THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK


Thursday, May 14, 1998

THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION:
PROTECTING OUR PRIVACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Today, Vice President Gore speaks at New York University's commencement. In his remarks, the Vice President announces that the Clinton Administration is proposing a comprehensive privacy action plan that will give people more control over their own personal information.

A Comprehensive Privacy Plan. As technology becomes more sophisticated, the risk people face from the disclosure of personal and confidential information grows. Computers and the Internet are tools which aid us in our everyday life, but can also be used by those who wish to gain private information about us. The Clinton Administration's privacy action plan calls for:

Protecting Medical Privacy. The Administration will submit legislation to Congress which restricts how and when individuals' medical records can be used, gives people the right to be informed about their records, and allows them the opportunity to correct their records.

One Stop Opt-Out. The Administration's plan creates a Website sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission which will enable individuals to prohibit companies from pre-screening their credit records without their permission, prevent drivers license data from being sold to data miners, and allow individuals to have their names and addresses removed from data-mailing and telemarketing lists.

Ensuring appropriate Use of Federal Government Data. The President has signed a Memorandum to agency heads, effective today, that requires federal agencies to ensure that new technologies do not erode Privacy Act protections while also examining how new technologies can be used to enhance personal privacy. It also calls for a thorough agency-by-agency review of existing privacy practices, and directs the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a review and issue guidance ways agencies can protect privacy information, especially when they collaborate with state and local governments.

Privacy Summit. To fully understand and address the complex issues involved with privacy in the Information Age, the Commerce Department will convene a Summit on Privacy to bring privacy and consumer advocates together with industry officials to explore the feasibility and limitations of the application of self regulation to the Internet and to focus on children's privacy.