Privacy Policy Activities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Citation
General Accounting Office, Privacy Policy Activities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (GGD-84-93) (Aug. 31, 1984) (full-text).

Overview
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the privacy policy activities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

NTIA's involvement in privacy policy began after a presidential memorandum recommended that NTIA:


 * (1) coordinate work on a legislative package relating to privacy policy;
 * (2) develop and set forth privacy policy initiatives in the international area; and
 * (3) study the privacy consequences of the growth of information technology.

The GAO found that:


 * (1) since 1981, when work on the legislative package was completed, NTIA has devoted little staff time to legislative privacy initiatives;
 * (2) NTIA has played a substantial role in developing voluntary international privacy guidelines; and
 * (3) NTIA has published a collection of papers intended to encourage public debate on information and privacy policy.

GAO noted that the NTIA budget reflects the decrease in privacy policy activities.