INFORMATION POLICY

"Information is a fundamental resource for all societies, from the most primitive to the most developed. Hence, systems that underlie its production and distribution, and that support communication, can be thought of as basic infrastructures. The development and management of those infrastructures must be a major concern for the societies they serve. It can be no surprise, then, that the United States, over the past two centuries, has developed a large collection of laws, regulations, and customs that deal with information technology and with information itself -- its collection and creation, use, exchange, preservation, and communication." -- Fred Weingarten, manager of communication and information technologies program at U.S. Congressional Office of Technological Assessment.

• What is information policy?
  
  
• What are government roles and responsibilities relative to information?
  
  
• How has digitization of information and development of Internet and other information technologies created a information policy research agenda?
  
  
• What are the current information policy issues?
  
  
• Who are the stakeholders?
  
  
• Where can I find further information about these topics?
  
  

Digitization of Information and Internet Development. Computers, networks, and information complement one another. Investment and use of one leverages demand for the others (Kahin).

Some of the changes wrought by information technology include:

• modern digital telephony -- new opportunities for technological surveillance and wiretapping (cordless phones, cellular phones, digital encoding, computer-based switches, use of internet for phone service
  
• computer file matching -- for ex., for credit checking, in which information collected and stored in one Federal data system is matched with that in other
  
• computer based trading on stock market
  
• electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic data interchange (EDI)
  
• trans-border data flow
  
• office automation and nature of work -- employment and training issues
  

  ---

  Further Information about Information Policy

  Harvard Information Infrastructure Project
  See especially their HIIP Information Policy Gateway and Search Engine

  "The Internet Society

  
  See particularly The World Telecom Policy Forum 1998

  International Telecommunications Union

  Commercial Internet eXchange for commercial internet providers to develop consensus on legislative and policy issues.

  For the government's side of the issue see The National Institute of Standards and Technology on global electronic commerce and many related sites on telecommunications policy, and information policy.

  Computer Systems Policy Project -- CEOs of major American computer companies building info processing systems. Formed in 1989 to develop and advocate for public policy positions on current trade and technology issues.

  President's Information Infrastructure Task Force. Formed to articulate administration's vision of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Agencies and private sector working together to develop consensus on "difficult" policy issues.

  National Information Infrastructure Virtual Library

  The Virtual Institute of Information. A search system for anyone interested in policy and social issues related to telecommunications, cybercommunications, and mass media. Initiated May 1996 at Columbia University.

  Global Information Insfrastructure Commission. Part of Center for Strategic International Studies.

  Research Program on Communications Policy, MIT.

  Advisory Committee on International Communications and Telecommunication Policy. Harvard.

  Internet 2 Project. Initiated in Oct. 1996. Universities, government and industry to create next generation of the internet.

  Information Technology Policy and Guidelines at the University of Michigan

  UNC Information Policy.

  Guide to Technology and Cyberlaw.

  
  ©: Evelyn Daniel,
  All rights reserved.
  Page revised 2/3/99.