Coalition Announces New Privacy Initiative

WASHINGTON — The Privacy Coalition, a nonpartisan coalition of consumer, civil liberties, educational, library, labor, and family-based groups, presented “The Privacy Pledge” — the standard for future protection of privacy. Privacy is the major social issue of the information society and the top technology issue in the 107th Congress.

Member groups of The Privacy Coalition include: the American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Media Education, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Eagle Forum, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), Junkbusters, Media Access Project, National Consumers League, Privacy Times, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG).

The Privacy Coalition invites members of federal and state legislatures to sign the pledge and thus protect one of the most important rights of Americans. The provisions of the pledge outline the necessary steps for future steps to protect privacy.

The Privacy Pledge reads as follows:

The Privacy Pledge

Privacy is one of America’s most fundamental values.

The Fourth Amendment states that “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” In addition, the U.S. has adopted many laws protecting Americans from privacy invasive practices by both the public and private sectors.

Recognizing the need to protect this essential freedom, I, (insert Member’s name), pledge to my constituents in (State and District) and to the American people that I will support a privacy framework to safeguard the rights of Americans in this information age.

This framework includes:

1. the Fair Information Practices: the right to notice, consent, security, access, correction, use limitations, and redress when information is improperly used,

2. independent enforcement and oversight,

3. promotion of genuine Privacy Enhancing Technologies that limit the collection of personal information and legal restrictions on surveillance technologies such as those used for locational tracking, video surveillance, electronic profiling, and workplace monitoring, and

4. a solid foundation of federal privacy safeguards that permit the private sector and states to implement supplementary protections as needed.

The Privacy Coalition’s Members Include:

American Association of Law Libraries
http://www.aallnet.org/

American Civil Liberties Union
http://archive.aclu.org/

American Library Association
Washington Office
http://www.alawash.org/

Center for Media Education
http://www.cme.org/

Consumer Federation of America
http://www.consumerfed.org/

Consumers Union
http://www.consumer.org/

Eagle Forum
http://www.eagleforum.org/

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
http://www.epic.org

International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural
Implement Workers of America (UAW)
http://www.uaw.org/

Junkbusters
http://www.junkbusters.com/

Media Access Project
http://www.mediaaccess.org/

National Consumers League
http://www.nclnet.org/

Privacy Times
http://www.privacytimes.com/

U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)
http://www.pirg.org/