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Chapter 15: Privacy and Security
In this chapter:
In providing services to the public and carrying out various other functions online, governments collect and use a wide range of personal information about their citizens – data regarding health, education, employment, property ownership, income, and other sensitive matters. Also, certain proprietary information collected from businesses may be of value to competitors or otherwise sensitive in nature.
Governments are obligated to protect the privacy and security of the personally-identifiable information they acquire, not only because international law recognizes the right to privacy, but also because trust is a crucial ingredient of any successful online program, whether in the field of e-Commerce or in the field of e-Government. Privacy and security are often cited as major concerns of Internet users and major reasons why many non-users still avoid the Internet. Individuals and businesses will not use e-Government services unless they are assured that the information the government collects will be used responsibly and protected from abuse.
To promote trust in online applications most effectively, policy-makers and e-Government managers should address privacy and security issues in the planning and design phases. Privacy and security measures included from the design phase are generally easier to implement than protections patched on after a system is built.
In providing services to the public and carrying out various other functions online, governments collect and use a wide range of personal information about their citizens – data regarding health, education, employment, property ownership, income, and other sensitive matters. Also, certain proprietary information collected from businesses may be of value to competitors or otherwise sensitive in nature.
Governments are obligated to protect the privacy and security of the personally-identifiable information they acquire, not only because international law recognizes the right to privacy, but also because trust is a crucial ingredient of any successful online program, whether in the field of e-Commerce or in the field of e-Government. Privacy and security are often cited as major concerns of Internet users and major reasons why many non-users still avoid the Internet. Individuals and businesses will not use e-Government services unless they are assured that the information the government collects will be used responsibly and protected from abuse.
To promote trust in online applications most effectively, policy-makers and e-Government managers should address privacy and security issues in the planning and design phases. Privacy and security measures included from the design phase are generally easier to implement than protections patched on after a system is built.