Working Group on Privacy

The Working Group on Privacy was part of the Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF), an inter-agency task force set up by the Clinton Administration to articulate and implement the Administration's vision of the National Information Infrastructure (NII).

The Working Group on Privacy issued its initial draft "Principles for Providing and Using Personal Information," on May 25, 1994. 59 Fed. Ref. 27206 (May 25, 1994). On January 25, 1995, the Working Group issued its second draft. 60 Fed. Reg. 4362 (Jan. 25, 1995).

In drafting privacy principles, the Working Group's stated goal was to update the Code of Fair Information Practices developed by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in 1973. The Working Group sought to address two major changes in information technology since the 1970s &mdash; the emergence of large, privately-held databases, and the development of interactive technologies.