FCF's Dean Lauds Congressional Privacy Caucus
Privacy: 'single most important issue facing American citizens'
WASHINGTON, DC - Today the Free Congress Foundation lauded the formation of
the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Privacy Caucus.
"We laud the tenacity of Sens. Shelby and Bryan and Reps. Markey and Barton
for being among the first in Congress to take the initiative on the single
most important issue facing American citizens going into the next century,"
said Free Congress Foundation's Vice President for Technology Policy Lisa S.
Dean. "It is critical that we establish laws and regulations regarding
individual privacy while the technology designed to protect it is still in
its infancy."
"We must rely on Congress - and not the courts or federal agencies - to
decide what our rights are in the information age. And I am delighted to
see these members take this initiative by lending their voices to those of
Rep. Bob Barr, who has long been warning the public about the erosion of
their privacy through regulation and legislation," said Dean.
"This is a great today for all Americans," said Free Congress Foundation
spokesman Robert McFarland. "The formation of this caucus will bring
privacy concerns to the forefront and serve to move the debate in the
direction of protecting Americans' private information. Now more than ever
we need legislation protecting our privacy from Big Brother and his Little
Brother in corporate America."
On August 16, 1999 The Washington Times reported the following on the state
of medical privacy:
"Executives at more than a third of the Fortune 500 companies scan their
employees' medical files before making hiring, firing and promotion
decisions. An untold number of smaller businesses with self-insured medical
plans do that as well. Life insurers increasingly obtain data on clients'
genetic backgrounds and use the information to drop coverage or reject
applicants who might contract an illness others in their family have had.
Health maintenance organizations gather data that allow them to recruit only
the healthiest clients -- a tactic known as "cherry-picking." Internet
information brokers sell for about $400 an individual's complete medical
file to any interested person with a computer and cash, including lawyers,
detectives, political and business foes or vindictive neighbors.
Drug-company marketers buy patient lists from pharmacies for about 30 cents
apiece, then make direct-mail drug pitches to heart patients, diabetics,
arthritis suffers and others."
###
The Free Congress Foundation is a 21-year-old Washington based think tank,
which teaches people how to be effective in the political process, advocates
judicial reform, promotes cultural conservatism, and works against the
government encroachment of individual liberties.
Visit Our Website at http://www.FreeCongress.org
This publication is a service of the Free Congress Research and Education
Foundation, Inc. (FCF) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the
Free Congress Foundation nor is it an attempt to aid or hinder the passage
of any bill.
Free Congress Foundation, 717 Second Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
202.546.3000 x450 Fax: 202.544.2819 Project Manager: Angela Wheeler
Copyright * 2000 Free Congress Foundation - All Rights Reserved.
**************************************************************************
Subscribe to Freematt's Alerts: Pro-Individual Rights Issues
Send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the words subscribe FA
on the subject line. List is private and moderated (7-30 messages per month)
Matthew Gaylor,1933 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.,#176, Columbus, OH 43229
Archived at http://www.egroups.com/list/fa/
**************************************************************************
