The Honorable William M. Daley Office of the Secretary Rm. We are academics, representatives of consumer, civil liberties and privacy organizations, and technical experts. We appreciate your interest and the interest of the White House in a public forum on privacy. We believe that privacy is one of the most important issues facing the American public today.
Privacy is a fundamental value, a continuing source of great popular concern.
We are all aware that the United States lacks adequate and effective privacy protection. We support your efforts to convene a conference on these issues. At the same time, we are troubled by the current planning for this event. We understand that the Department has essentially delegated to the private sector the responsibility for organizing this meeting. Planning has begun for the event, even though there is no formal announcement from the Department and no announced request for public participation.