Computer Privacy in America: Conflicting Practices and Policy Choices

American history and custom are rich with the sense of personal privacy. That sense of privacy remained so strong that when the computer became reality in daily government operations, concerns about preserving privacy were vigorously expressed. The Congressional hearings on the National Data Bank(NDB) proposal of the 1960s is illustrative. In the end, the proposal was not funded out of concern for the massive volume of personal data to be contained, transmission of it around the country in telecommunications networks not secure, a national ID system that might emerge, and computer matching schemes to follow. Today, our computer practices sometimes violate those earlier tenets on computers and privacy. Some government networks now contain more personal data than waa proposed for the NDB; networks are not secure, even subject to penetration by hackers; a national ID system has been proposed, but SSN ia one in effect; matching schemes for draft registration verification and debt collection by the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of other agencies, do work. Computer practices in conflict with privacy principles raise the spectre of extra-Constitutional government in America, and leave us with crucial policy choices in computing.