| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| January 20, 2000 | Jon Peterson (651-296-5989) |
(ST. PAUL) To address the growing concern that Minnesotans are losing their privacy to unwanted phone solicitation and government intrusion, State Representative Rich Stanek (R- Maple Grove) and House Republicans have proposed a Privacy Bill of Rights a series of principles and proposals aimed at protecting people's privacy in the areas of telemarketing, government data, financial institutions, and the health care industry. The Privacy Bill of Rights will be a top priority for the House when the 2000 Session begins on February 1.
"There is a general unease with the explosion of consumer information in this country leading some to believe that Big Brother of 1984 is no longer the stuff of fiction, but of reality," said Rep. Stanek. "Families need to feel safe in their homes, without the worry that they're being watched or constantly solicited. The first institution we're going to hold accountable is our own state government."
The principles in the Privacy Bill of Rights will be at the foundation of virtually every piece of legislation enacted in Minnesota that deals with "informational privacy." Several legislative proposals will comprise the Privacy Bill of Rights, beginning with a proposal to prohibit state government from selling lists of information that is in turn used for commercial purposes. The state currently markets and sells several lists of people who receive a license from the state such as teachers or hunters.
"Before we ask other institutions to be more careful with private information, we need to make sure our own house is in order," said Rep. Stanek. "Government should not be making money by selling lists of its citizens for commercial purposes."
Other proposals under the Privacy Bill of Rights include the following:
Internet Privacy
Prohibiting Internet service providers from selling highly personal information such as purchasing decisions and frequency of use of specific web sites. -More-
Rep. Stanek
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Requiring pornography sites that originate in Minnesota to present a warning screen before users are allowed to enter the site.
Home Privacy
Requiring registration of telemarketers with the state to prevent fraud. Prohibiting the use of telephone equipment that blocks the caller identification function on the telephone. Increase the state penalties for violations of the Federal "Do Not Call" list for telephone solicitors to $15,000.
Financial Privacy
Impose state penalties for violations of the federal law which requires companies to allow people to get off their list when they share it with a third party.
Medical Privacy
Guarantee that HMO's in their management capacity (or "as businesses") protect medical records and all other personal information as carefully as do traditional health insurance companies.
"Our goal in this Privacy Bill of Rights is to balance the privacy rights of families in the new Information Age without compromising the competitiveness and entrepreneurial spirit of the Minnesota economy," said Stanek.
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