He proposed legislation that would give law enforcement important new tools to pursue criminals through cyberspace while also boosting citizens' fundamental rights to privacy in the electronic age. Mr. Podesta also announced new rules that will update encryption export controls. The Administration is updating its policy for encryption exports to the European Union and other key trading partners, thus assuring continued competitiveness of U.S. industry in international markets. The Act clarifies the legal validity of electronic contracts, signatures, notices, and other records, and allows contracting parties to choose the technology for authenticating their transactions without government intervention. The Act does not diminish the protections offered by any Federal or State law relating to the rights of consumers, other than to eliminate requirements that contracts and other records be written and signed on paper.
Consumers retain the choice to do business and receive records on paper or online.
Before notices and disclosures may be sent electronically, consumers must give their consent and the firm must verify that the consumer will be able to access electronically the information that will be provided. Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public. As originally enacted in 1998, the provisions of Section 508 relating to enforcement were to go into effect on August 7, 2000. The new amendment changes the effective date to six months after the Access Board publishes its final standards under Section 508. This site is maintained by the Secretariat for Electronic Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce.