Public Hearings on Privacy

[Dave Banisar <banisar@washofc.cpsr.org>]

  Public Hearings on Privacy
                              NEWS  
                   US OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS



  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              Contact: George  Idelson  (USOCA)
  December 10, 1993                           (202)634-4344
                                              Patricia  Faley  (USOCA)
                                              (202)634-4329

  PUBLIC HEARINGS ON INFORMATION AGE PRIVACY SET FOR CALIFORNIA AND
  WASHINGTON, DC.

  Sacramento: January 10-11,  1994;  Washington,  DC:  January  26-27,
  1994.  Public Invited to Participate.

       Representatives from the public,  private  and  non  profit
  sectors will present their views on personal privacy and data
  protection in the information age at public  hearings  of  a  U.S.
  Government task force in early 1994.

       The hearings will be open meetings  of  the  Privacy  Working
  Group, chaired by Patricia Faley,  Acting  Director  of  the  United
  States Office of Consumer Affairs (USOCA).  The Working Group is
  part of a task force set up by  the  Clinton  Administration  to
  consider how to spur development of an "information
  superhighway." officially known  as  the  National  Information
  Infrastructure (NII), the "data highway" will be capable of
  exchanging data, voice and images  electronically  within  a  vast
  network of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other
  organizations around the world.  Ensuring ready access to
  information is the goal of the Administrative initiative, but
  protecting individual privacy is essential to its success.

       The public meetings will examine privacy issues relating to
  such areas as law  enforcement,  financial  services,  information
  technology, and di:rect marketing.  The California mooting,
  January 10th and llth, will be hosted  by  Jim  Conran,  Director,
  California Department of Consumer Affairs  in  the  First  Floor
  Hearing Room at 400 R  Street  in  Sacramento.  The  Washington,  DC
  meeting, January 26th and 27th, will be held at the U.S.
  Department of Commerce Auditorium,  14th  &  Constitution  Ave.  NW.
  Registration begins at 8:30am, meetings at 9am.

       The public is invited to attend,  question  speakers  and  to
  make brief comments, but space is limited.  Concise written
  statements for the record should be sent to "Privacy," USOCA,
  1620 L Street NW, Washington DC 20036 or faxed to (202)634-4135.

                                  # # #



United States Office of Comumer Affairs - 1620 L Street, NW,  Washington,
D.C. 20036-5605