Gore pushes for ‘electronic bill of rights’

WASHINGTON, D.C.–In late July, Vice President Al Gore again called for an “Electronic Bill of Rights” to create new privacy protection with the rise of new technology.

Gore said, “You should have the right to choose whether your personal information is disclosed; you should have the right to know how, when and how much of that information is being used, and you should have the right to see it yourself to know if it’s accurate.”

Gore made his remarks in what his press office characterized as “an event in the Roosevelt Room.”

Pledging that the administration will push harder for privacy for “sensitive personal information,” Gore spelled out plans to upgrade protection for medical and financial records and for increased voluntary limits on “profiling” by companies which aggregate information about individuals for resale to marketing companies.

He also promised a “privacy dialogue” with state and local governments to include consideration of the “appropriate balance between the privacy of personal information, collected by governments, the right of individuals to access public records and First Amendment values.” He said that the digitization and widespread availability of public records has raised “serious privacy concerns.”

Gore also called for new penalties for identity theft, and for measures to prevent collection of information from children without their parents’ permission.