Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 25, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke issues executive order to protect citizens' privacy

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced an executive order to ensure private information collected by state agencies isn't used to compromise the privacy of Washington's citizens.

Locke said the executive order requires state agencies to take steps to make sure sensitive personal information doesn't go into data bases where it can be obtained by irresponsible people or criminals.

"I'm a strong believer in the public's right to know," Locke said. "We need laws ensuring citizens have access to the state government information they need to make informed decisions in a democracy.

"But as governor," Locke added, "I'm concerned about the privacy abuses that occur in the private world in this electronic age. I can't stop all the abuses, but I can give the executive branch of Washington's government the toughest rules of any state in the nation to guard citizens' personal information in state computers and paper records."

"The governor's action today puts state government at the forefront in efforts to protect the privacy of citizens," Gregoire said. "Now we need the Legislature to hear the voice of the people and extend these same privacy protections to personal information gathered by business."

The executive order announced today:

- Requires agencies to have procedures to prevent personal information from getting into the wrong hands.

- Requires each agency to designate a person who will respond to public inquiries about what information is being released and to take complaints and suggestions. The Office of the Governor also will designate a person to accept public calls about the collection and disclosure of personal information by agencies.

- Eliminates the use of Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal identifying information from documents that might end up in public hands. Safeguarding such identifiers will ensure they won't be used for fraud and identity theft.

- Prevents agencies from collecting information they don't need and from keeping it longer than necessary.

- Requires agencies to prominently display their privacy policies on their Internet Web sites. They also must notify people providing personal information that the law might make it subject to disclosure. Citizens also will receive instructions for reviewing - and correcting if necessary -information contained in the agencies' files.

- Strengthens existing state laws that protect the privacy of health records, tax information, sensitive financial information, driver and vehicle records and other personal information.

- Ensures citizens will know their rights about disclosure.

The governor said he hoped the executive order would set an example for the steps private industry could take to protect consumer information. He added that next year he will work with the Gregoire, the Legislature, the business community and others to pass new laws to protect consumer privacy.

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