Download
Download Free Electronic Document
| Format | File Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF file | 0.1 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
Purchase
Purchase Print Copy
| Format | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add to Cart | Paperback9 pages | $20.00 | $16.00 20% Web Discount |
In this discussion of legislation to protect the citizen against harm resulting from the use of information contained in computer data systems, several important questions emerge: Would the legislation apply to the public sector or to government — Federal? State? Local? Should it apply equally or separately to the private sector? Would a regulatory agency or a judicial system enforce the law? Who will define what "harm" is? What about the Social Security number as an ad hoc personal identifier? The author suggests (1) passage of a broad-gauge omnibus bill applicable to the public sector only but making every individual liable for harm caused by misuse or abuse of personal information; (2) treatment of private-sector problems by specific legislation as difficulties are discovered; (3) creation of legislation prohibiting use of the Social Security number as a personal identifier, except as provided by Federal law, but providing a mechanism for granting exceptions.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Paper series. The paper was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1948 to 2003 that captured speeches, memorials, and derivative research, usually prepared on authors' own time and meant to be the scholarly or scientific contribution of individual authors to their professional fields. Papers were less formal than reports and did not require rigorous peer review.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.