Vice President Al Gore Thursday directed each federal department and agency to create a privacy officer to ensure compliance with existing laws and review efforts to protect personal information.
"We need an electronic bill of rights for this electronic age," said Gore in a commencement speech at New York University. "Americans should have the right to choose whether their 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."
Gore announced that President Clinton has signed a memo requiring agencies to ensure that new technologies do not erode Privacy Act protections. The memo also directs the Office of Management and Budget to conduct a review and issue guidance on ways agencies can use new technology to protect private information.
The Clinton administration also called on Congress to pass legislation restricting how and when individuals' medical records can be used.
The Federal Trade Commission will help the new privacy effort by sponsoring a Web site that will allow individuals to prohibit companies from pre-screening their credit cards without their permission; prevent their driver's license data from being sold; and remove their name and address from direct-mailing and telemarketing lists.
At Gore's request, the Commerce Department will convene a Summit on Privacy within the next month to bring privacy and consumer advocates together with industry officials.
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