FOI vs SCA Privacy
James Crouchet
jtc at io.com
Wed Aug 14 12:44:19 PDT 1996
FROM: Don Savein
When I came across this on another mailing list I am on my first
thought was, "Man, this is too long -- I'll delete it." Fortunately I
did not.
Really, read this. I know it is long, but it concerns our privacy as
members of a 501(3)(c) corp.
When I asked if I could forward this note to our list Matt said:
James,
Forward on! The problem is that the founders of the service did
incorporate as a 501 (3) (c) non-profit.
Oh, a little more background before we start. The FOI is the Freedom
Of Information Act, which is normally used to make the government
show you your tax files, police records, etc. I have never heard of
it being used this way before and I find the whole idea outrageous
Savein
-----Forwarded Message-------
Hello,
I hope my first comment to the list generates some discussion. Please
excuse the length, but I think some background will help the discussion.
I am the current Director of MidNet, the community information network
serving Columbia and the Midlands of South Carolina. We started with
money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Community-Wide
Education and Information Service Program. Our founding sponsors were
(and continue to be) the University of South Carolina, the Richland
County Public Library, and South Carolina Educational Television. Our
grant ran out on June 30, 1996, and we started charging an $18/year fee
for a registered account. We are strictly non-profit, educational, and
introductory in our focus. We receive some administrative and financial
support from the University. In fact we are operated out of the
College of Library and Information Science here at USC where I am also a
very part-time student working on my Masters. We provide, dial-in access,
free WWW services to non-profit agencies in the Midlands, inexpensive
E-mail access, and free educational support through classes given at the
library and university. I think we provide some good and necessary services
to the community.
On July 23 we received a Freedom of Information Act Request
for "the complete database of information on users compiled under
MidNet's operations." It was submitted by a local, commercial Internet
service provider. (I quoted the request itself.) In other words, they want
our mailing list so they can advertise with direct marketing. University
legal council studied the situation and directed us to make available
the information. Though I have been directed to not discuss the
situation, I feel it is my duty to warn other folks in similar situations
that it could happen to you too, and, if you are as opposed to the idea
as I am, you need to study your organization and the law and prepare
yourselves for what may come. I am sorry that it hit us out of the
blue. I think it is a blatant misuse of the Act and bad business to
boot! The Act was designed and implemented by Congress to make the
government accountable to the people for possible abuses of power -- not
to steal a membership database from a non-profit agency trying to make a
difference through education and support. I view the surrender of our
users' personal information as fundamentally wrong in every way.
Has this happened to anyone else? I know most of you folks work for
libraries and are protected somewhat, but I got a real problem because I
consider myself a public librarian, and I don't want to give up this list.
( I am supposed to this Friday.) I also need discussion on how we can
prevent this in the future, other than eliminating support from the
university which, at this point, is vital. Please commiserate or tell me
why I am wrong!
Matthew Penn
Director, MidNet
matt at dasher.csd.sc.edu
http://www.midnet.sc.edu
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