Web Study Likens Uncle Sam to Big Brother

WASHINGTON —  While the Clinton administration is pressuring companies with Internet sites to respect the privacy of surfers on the World Wide Web, a survey found the government itself is far from perfect regarding this issue.

Almost half of the 70 Internet sites run by federal agencies collect data about visitors, but most disclose nothing about how the information will be used, according to the survey being released today by OMB Watch.

Privacy concerns arise on the Internet because whenever a person using Web-browsing software visits a site, the site can collect information about the user, sometimes without their knowledge. Some sites also ask users to register or fill out questionnaires.

Disclosure about the collection of personal data online is the cornerstone of the Clinton Internet privacy policy for the private sector.

OMB Watch, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group, also found that few government sites provide adequate statements about the Privacy Act of 1974, which regulates government use of personal information.

“The new medium has blurred the lines created by the Privacy Act and subsequent laws,” said Ari Schwartz, primary author of the report. As a result, the group is calling on the administration to develop a government-wide policy for protecting privacy on the Net.

A similar survey of mostly private Web sites released in June by the Electronic Privacy Information Center found that none of the 100 most popular sites met basic standards for privacy protection.

Schwartz said a uniform policy could also help quell concerns that have prevented the government from using the Internet to provide more information to citizens.