Ontario, British Columbia Move to Boost E-Government
Japan Responds to U.S. Criticism on WIPO Copyright Treaty Obligations
Commentary: Privacy Taking Center Stage as the Global Issue of 2001
Things to Watch
Website of the Month
SLA's Public Policy Question of the Month
New U.S. E-Government Bill Calls for Federal CIO
Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) has introduced S. 803, the E-Government Act of 2001. S. 803 is "a bill to enhance the management and promotion of electronic Government services and processes by establishing a Federal Chief Information Officer within the Office of Management and Budget, and by establishing a broad framework of measures that require using Internet-based information technology to enhance citizen access to Government information and services, and for other purposes."
S. 803 would (1) Improve the FirstGov Web portal for federal govt. services with an additional $15 million authorized for FY 2002. (2) Create an online national library, with $10 million authorized for FY 2002. (3) Require federal courts to post opinions
and agencies to post regulatory notices online. (4) Fund a training center for information technology professionals with $7 million in FY 2002.
The bill was referred to the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on May 1st. U.S. President George W. Bush has outlined a similar proposal, authorizing $20 million that would be dispersed directly to existing agencies for e-government strategies. Senator Lieberman's proposal is far more comprehensive and calls for $200 million in authorization funding that would go directly to a Federal CIO.
Read the text of the bill in the Public Policy InfoBank. Or visit Senator Lieberman's website.
Ontario, British Columbia Move to Boost E-Government
Government officials in the Canadian province announced plans to enhance its web-based services to the public and improve consumer protection laws related to e-commerce. Additionally, it plans to dramatically improve delivery of updated statutes and regulations, targeting availability within 2 weeks of enactment. Ontario had traditionally set a window of 18 months for posting of new laws and regulations. By this time next year, they are hopeful they can post such information within 24 to 48 hours of enactment.
Similarly, British Columbia passed a law recently that legitimizes e-signatures and e-documents. All other Canadian provinces and the federal government have introduced similar legislation that has not been approved to date.
Japan Responds to U.S. Criticism on WIPO Copyright Treaty Obligations
Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has enacted most of the laws it needs to approve to meet obligations under the World Intellectual Property Organization's Performances and Phonograms Treaty, which was passed in 1997. The announcement came in response to a U.S. National Trade Estimate report that suggested Japan was lagging behind in enactment of necessary laws. In particular, the report suggested that the Japanese government had not moved quickly to address Internet service provider liability for intellectual property law violations over their networks. The Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry noted that it was working on legislation to clarify ISP liability, but wanted to "balance the rights among senders of information, victims, and ISPs."
Commentary: Privacy Taking Center Stage as the Global Issue of 2001
If the 1990s were the decade of electronic commerce, then the 2000s are shaping up to be very much about access, privacy and the opportunities and limitations on the use of private information. Governments around the world have been, and are currently considering, proposed policies that are intended to balance the interests of commerce with the critical public interest of protecting against misuse of private information.
Of the nations who are considered global economic powers, Canada is the only government to have enacted updated privacy laws that address electronic challenges - and it has received positive reviews from U.S. legislators. The European Union is farther ahead in the implementation process than the United States. U.S. Congressional leaders and President Bush admit that they are "searching in the dark" for some sense of direction, and plan to confer with Canadian and European officials on the matter.
Adding to the confusion in the U.S. is the fact that many states are addressing the issue of privacy on their own. Coupled with a somewhat aggressive proposal that exists in Europe, and the world could end up with what U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner Sheila Anthony calls a "schizophrenic environment" for privacy regulation. In a speech to the Privacy Officers Association earlier this month, Anthony also highlighted the discomforting practices of many companies and organizations in their web privacy policies.
For its own part, the U.S. Congress has begun to address some specific points on the privacy front, specifically in crafting anti-spamming legislation. Such legislation was passed in the House in the previous Congress, but never reached the floor of the Senate. Prohibiting or severely limiting spamming is a good start, but the world's strongest economic and political power needs to take a greater leadership role in formulating a globally acceptable plan for addressing privacy issues in all sectors of life. Talking with our global partners is a good start, but not an answer.
Congress has proposed to eliminate the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science from the 2002 U.S. Government budget. No word yet on prospects for actual approval... The SLA Government Affairs and Intellectual Property Committee is currently reviewing the public policy statements that have guided the Association for over 5 years. They will be reviewing new draft policy statements at the SLA Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 9-14... UCITA is now dead in the Texas legislature. The lack of action in such a critical state could be a negative signal for many other states in the U.S. on this onerous proposal.
The Privacy Leadership Initiative (PLI) has established understandingprivacy.org, which includes a Privacy Manager's Resource Center. The site is intended to give privacy managers the tools to build practices and policies based on choice and trust. PLI is a partnership of major companies and business organizations.
SLA's Public Policy Question of the Month
Results of the April Poll:
What's your opinion on licensing content online?
47.4% respect a content owner's right to license, but want an opportunity to negotiate.
36.8% want the ability to freely negotiate with a licensor for maximum flexibility.
10.5% want a little flexibility, but are willing to live with restrictive licenses to save money.
5.3% say that, if a content provider needs to protect their interests through licensing, so be it.
The May Question of the Month:
What's the most practical way to access government information?
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