AFFIRMATIVE-CONSUMER/INTERNET-SOLVENCY 371

NOW IS THE KEY TIME TO PROTECT PRIVACY

NOW IS THE KEY TIME FOR ELECTRONIC PRIVACY RIGHTS

Marc S. Friedman, President-elect of the Computer Law Association, 1999 / 2000; Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, " SOME OBSERVATIONS ON ENCRYPTION - PLAIN, SIMPLE, AND UNENCRYPTED," EE2001-hxm lxnx

As an American Civil Liberties Union Special Report recently concluded, "We are now at a historic crossroads: we can use emerging technologies to protect our personal privacy, or we can succumb to scare tactics and to exaggerated claims about the law enforcement value of electronic surveillance and give up our cherished [constitutional] rights, perhaps - forever." n13 That is the issue. Those are the points of view, broadly drawn.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PROTECT PRIVACY IN THE INFORMATION AGE

Suzanne M. Thompson, "The Digital Explosion Comes With a Cost: The Loss of Privacy," Journal of Technology Law and Policy, Spring 1999, 4 J. Tech. L. & Pol'y 3, EE2001-JGM, P.91

The obligation to maintain fair information practices in the Information Age is critical and a global solution must be adopted. The globalization of information processing activities and the European Union Directive have provided the U.S. with an impetus to action. Society must move forward beyond the debate over the intrusive nature of technological information systems to implementation of privacy protection on a national level. n237 Now is the time to seize the opportunity and take some form of action to ensure that privacy protection is a core element of advanced network communication systems.