Mike Thompson: “I am pleased that the Senate-House conferees have adopted an amendment I sponsored to inform Congress and our citizens…”

“I am pleased that the Senate-House conferees have adopted an amendment I sponsored to inform Congress and our citizens about potential violations of their privacy on Federal agency Web sites. The public has a right to know whether the Federal Government is respecting personal privacy. This amendment would require all Inspectors General to report to Congress within 60 days on how each department or agency collects and reviews personal information on its web site. The amendment is based on similar language offered by Congressman Jay Inslee in the House that would have applied exclusively to the agencies funded by the Treasury-Postal Appropriations bill. Our final language was adopted by the Senate-House conferees in the bill providing appropriations for the Legislative Branch and Treasury-Postal Appropriations Act, and it was included in the Omnibus Appropriations Act. The Internet has brought great benefits to our society, but understandably, the public is becoming more and more concerned about the way personal information is collected and handled on the Internet. The Federal Government should set an example for how personal privacy is handled in cyberspace. But unfortunately, concerns have been raised that some Federal agencies may be engaging in information-gathering practices that could only further deepen the public's distrust of government. We need to find out whether these concerns are real, and if they are, we need to decide what do about it.…”