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TYPE: [GOVERNMENT REPORT] Fair Information Practices
DESCRIPTION: In 1972, , the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare (HEW), appointed an Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems to explore the impact of computerized record keeping on individuals. In the committee's report, published a year later, the Advisory Committee proposed a Code of Fair Information Practices. These principles formed the basis for all subsequent codes and laws related to information collection, especially the Privacy Act of 1974.. The code includes the guidelines which focus on consumer participation in the use and collection of information about them:
        - There must be no personal data record keeping systems whose very existence is secret.
        - There must be a way for an individual to find out what information about him is in a record and how it is used
        - There must be a way for an individual to prevent information about him that was obtained for one purpose from being used or made available for other purposes without his consent
        - There must be a way for an individual to correct or amend a record of identifiable information about him.
        - Any organization creating, maintaining, using, or disseminating records of identifiable personal data must assure reliability of the data for their intended use and must take precautions to prevent misuse of the data.
PARTICIPANTS: Elliot Richardson, Secretary of the U.S. Departmetn of Health Education and Welfare.
SUPPORTED STANDARDS: N/A

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Aldo F. Castañeda