Privacy Issues and the Private Sector

GUIDE represents a large portion of the private sector of this country; at the moment, of course, the recordkeeping processes of non-Federal organizations are being examined for possible legislative safeguards. Information in modern day record systems is used directly to affect everyone. The future will be one in which information about individuals will be used even more extensively than it is today, and in very broad ways. This society levies heavy demands upon government for services. This results in extensive social programs that not only have to be administered, but monitored as well. That all adds up to information about people, and it is not likely to get less. The essential thing is to make sure that a proper balance between such legitimate needs and adequate safeguards are developed that can protect individuals against harm as a result of the existence of record systems. The privacy issue is forcing the country and its institutions into a very thorough reexamination of recordkeeping practices. The Privacy Act of 1974 created the Privacy Protection Study Commission to examine the private sector and non-Federal government. The Commission is to recommend to Congress and the President first, what aspects of the 1974 Act should be applied to the private sector; secondly, to recommend to Congress and the President what further legislative safeguards are indicated for the private sector.