NEGATIVE/AFFIRMATIVE — POLITICAL & ELECTION ISSUES 214

PRIVACY AND THE UPCOMING ELECTION

PRIVACY ISSUES WILL NOT BE IMPORTANT COME ELECTION TIME

Neil Munro, The National Journal, MARCH 4, 2000 SECTION: CONGRESS; Pg. 702; TITLE: A Little Privacy, Please // acs-VT2001

Industry lobbyists are also eager to undercut claims that privacy legislation will be important come election time. The Democrats "are preaching to the converted, the privacy extremists who already tend to be Democrats," said Harris Miller, the president of the Information Technology Association of America. "They're not developing any broader base for the party, (and) they are potentially alienating the leadership of the new economy." Miller argued that most executives and workers in the high-tech sector oppose broad regulations and said they represent the independent "real swing voters."

PRIVACY VS. INFORMATION SALES ARE TOO HOT FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO HANDLE

WILLIAM SAFIRE; Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, The Houston Chronicle, April 04, 2000, SECTION: A; Pg. 18 TITLE: Americans' privacy is taking a beating // acs-EE2001

This issue of "the right to be let alone" vs. "the freedom to sell" is too hot for White House occupants or candidates. Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and Bob Torricelli, D-N.J., and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., are the heroes of privacy protection, but most solons are nervous about crossing corporate contributors.

VOTERS REACT STRONGLY TO FAVOR PRIVACY PROTECTION MOVES

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC January 20, 2000 SECTION: FRONT; Pg. A2 TITLE: STATES MOVING TOWARD MORE PRIVACY PROTECTION // acs-EE2001

"The right to privacy is very strong in the voters' mind," said Attorney General Mike Hatch, a Democrat. House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, adds, "This is an issue that's going to be around for years."

PRIVACY WILL BE AN ISSUE IN THE 2000 ELECTION

JOHN LABATE and PATTI WALDMEIR The Financial Times Limited Financial Times (London) January 29, 2000, SECTION: COMMENT & ANALYSIS; Pg. 15 TITLE: COMMENT & ANALYSIS: They know everything about you// acs-EE2001

Politicians, especially at state level, have begun to respond to this sleeping issue of the 2000 election campaign, introducing legislation in many states that would increase privacy protections. This week the New York attorney-general proposed a package of privacy bills aimed at forcing web companies to secure consumers' approval before selling information obtained online. Several other big states, notably California, are also considering ambitious plans for legislation.

PRIVACY WILL BE AN ELECTION ISSUE

David W. Roderer, Of Counsel, Goodwin, Procter & Hoar, LLP, Washington, D.C., April, 2000; North Carolina Banking Institute (4 N.C. Banking Inst. 209), "TENTATIVE STEPS TOWARD FINANCIAL PRIVACY," EE2001-hxm lxnx

Federal lawmakers may not yet be done. Further pressure has already surfaced from the Congressional privacy proponents whose pursuit of a more aggressive privacy agenda was thwarted in the first round of federal legislation. Representative Markey (D-MA) and Senator Shelby (R-AL), on November 10, 1999, even before the President signed the new law, introduced essentially identical legislation, H.R.3320 and S.1903 respectively, to amend and expand the new federal law. The proposed amendments would, among other things, prohibit financial institutions from sharing customer information with either affiliates or nonaffiliates absent explicit customer authorization - that is, "opt in" to such sharing. Moreover, financial institutions would be required to provide an individual wide freedom to obtain access to information [*217] pertaining to himself or herself, and to demand correction of errors in such information. Although no such federal legislative action is imminent, the likelihood is substantial that the privacy issue will catch fire in next year's politically charged campaign environment - at both the federal or state levels.

CLINTON-GORE USE THE PRIVACY ISSUE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE

WILLIAM SAFIRE, The New York Times, May 1, 2000, SECTION: Section A; Page 23; TITLE: Essay; Consenting Adults // acs-EE2001

Here's evidence that we're getting traction: President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore have detected the growing political appeal of personal privacy in a time of data rape. To a commencement audience yesterday, Clinton unveiled his plan to repel the invaders, challenging the Republican Congress to get on with legislation to stem the tide of snooping.