By Fawn Johnson Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Privacy groups hope to spend less time criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama's policies than they spent criticizing the previous administration's, but a mixed report card issued Wednesday suggested the advocates are still wary of abuses.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, gave the Obama administration a C+ for its policies on civil liberties, while the Bill of Rights Defense Committee gave the administration a D in that area.
The administration is still using surveillance technologies that received considerable criticism under U.S. President George W. Bush, according to Chip Pitts, president of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.
EPIC's Associate Director Lillie Coney said Obama has made some encouraging movements toward improved civil liberties since he took office. Obama inherited many flawed surveillance and anti-terrorist programs, she noted, but EPIC is disappointed that the White House hasn't made more progress in remedying the problems.
EPIC and the Consumer Federation of America gave the administration an incomplete in the area of online advertising and behavioral tracking.
Congress is poised to weigh in on online privacy this fall, but Obama hasn't tipped his hand in that debate.
Medical privacy is an area of considerable dispute among privacy advocates. EPIC gave the administration an A- in that area, while the Liberty Coalition gave it a D+.
"We are more positive that the administration has the right state of mind," explained EPIC's Coney, noting that health information technology language in the economic stimulus law has "the strongest privacy protections for electronic health provisions ever written."
Liberty Coalition Director Michael Ostrolenk said the health IT language in the stimulus bill doesn't allow patients to opt out, leaving them with no control over their own medical records.
In the area of cyber security, the administration earned a B from EPIC. Obama made a major push toward a more coordinated cyber security policy earlier this year, but the cyber security position in the White House is still vacant.
Overall, Coney said the privacy coalition will continue to watch the administration and issue report cards in hopes that the White House keeps its promises of open government and respect for private citizens.
The privacy groups are more generous in their assessments of Obama's privacy policies than the public. More than half of the people who weighed in on EPIC's online survey about Obama's privacy policies gave the administration failing grades.
-By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; fawn.johnson@dowjones.com
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Publié le 09 septembre 2009 Copyright © 2009 Dowjones