Public Hearings on Privacy NEWS US OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: George Idelson (USOCA) December 10, 1993 (202)634-4344 Patricia Faley (USOCA) (202)634-4329 PUBLIC HEARINGS ON INFORMATION AGE PRIVACY SET FOR CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON, DC. Sacramento: January 10-11, 1994; Washington, DC: January 26-27, 1994. Public Invited to Participate. Representatives from the public, private and non profit sectors will present their views on personal privacy and data protection in the information age at public hearings of a U.S. Government task force in early 1994. The hearings will be open meetings of the Privacy Working Group, chaired by Patricia Faley, Acting Director of the United States Office of Consumer Affairs (USOCA). The Working Group is part of a task force set up by the Clinton Administration to consider how to spur development of an "information superhighway." officially known as the National Information Infrastructure (NII), the "data highway" will be capable of exchanging data, voice and images electronically within a vast network of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other organizations around the world. Ensuring ready access to information is the goal of the Administrative initiative, but protecting individual privacy is essential to its success. The public meetings will examine privacy issues relating to such areas as law enforcement, financial services, information technology, and di:rect marketing. The California mooting, January 10th and llth, will be hosted by Jim Conran, Director, California Department of Consumer Affairs in the First Floor Hearing Room at 400 R Street in Sacramento. The Washington, DC meeting, January 26th and 27th, will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce Auditorium, 14th & Constitution Ave. NW. Registration begins at 8:30am, meetings at 9am. The public is invited to attend, question speakers and to make brief comments, but space is limited. Concise written statements for the record should be sent to "Privacy," USOCA, 1620 L Street NW, Washington DC 20036 or faxed to (202)634-4135. # # # United States Office of Comumer Affairs - 1620 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-5605