Colorado Gov. Bill Owens has signed a bill into law creating the state’s first Internet privacy task force.
The panel, consisting of six state officials and 15 public members yet to be appointed, with a budget of slightly more than $26,000 will have a year to study the issue before recommending legislative and administrative action. It is to file those recommendations by Dec. 1, 2001.The task force’s mission is to increase the personal privacy protections of Colorado residents.
The legislation was sponsored by State Rep. Matt Smith and Sen. Tom Blickensderfer.
It directs the panel to examine the collection, use and dissemination of personal information by state agencies and private industry–including direct marketers, list companies and nonprofit organizations–in the state while holding a series of public hearings on the issue.
Owen indicated that the issue of Internet privacy goes beyond state boundaries and said the panel will examine “the proper role of state government in the context of federal law and rules in establishing statutory privacy protections.”
He noted, too, that there are several bills pending in Congress to increase personal privacy protections and that more are expected to be introduced in the coming months.
Last week the Federal Trade Commission asked Congress for the authority to promulgate and enforce tough new Internet privacy protection rules. The request was strongly denounced by the Direct Marketing Association and a number of major Internet companies and their respective trade associations.
