Discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in Gonzaga University v. Doe, where the Supreme Court held that a person whose records were disclosed has no right to sue the institution for its violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Explores the decision's ramifications for higher education, including applicable…

Discusses the history of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Falvo and Gonzaga U.S. Supreme Court cases, and how universities might rethink FERPA in light of digital records. A discussion of Professor Lawrence Lessig's book "Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace" is used as a framework for discussing institutional…

Teachers should examine classroom questions, assignments, and activities to determine if any of them actually violate rights of student and family privacy. Lists an example of classroom questions that signal possible invasion of privacy, and guidelines for invasion of privacy charges. (MLF)

Some of the laws, rules, and principles related to student privacy, especially as they relate to the electronic era, are described. Some of the key elements of the Buckley Amendment are detailed and the ethical implications are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the increasing legal regulation of social workers' professional obligation to client confidentiality which means that social workers no longer can rely solely on an ethical commitment to maintaining client privacy. Contends social workers must learn to read and interpret applicable statutes and court decisions both for protection of…

Examines libraries' policies of keeping patron records private and confidential. Addresses the idea that libraries use their automated systems to retain and use patron data to develop and improve library services. Describes uses of patron data that can help libraries develop targeted services to users to better meet their information needs. (JMV)

The overriding concern in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is dignity. The implications for mental health policy are discussed. The U.S. may not ratify the convention, but it should serve as a guide for state lawmakers and mental health professionals involved in children's issues. (DM)

New technologies such as audiotex and videotex raise public policy issues related to access, use of a common carrier network, basic versus enhanced services, financing the system, government responsibility, the Bell companies as providers, consumer protection, and privacy. (SK)

Two ethical concerns about the Human Genome Project, which aims to sequence all the DNA of a human cell, are discussed: (1) use of germ-line gene therapy to treat perceived hereditary defects or enhance supposed genetic attributes, and (2) personal privacy and potential discrimination arising from possession of individual genetic information. (MSE)

Describes listservs as communities of individuals who come together on the Internet based on a common interest. Highlights include types of listservs, including those based on specific subjects, supporting products, goal-oriented, disseminating information, and friendship; e-mail filters; lists in the information industry; content quality; privacy…

Notes that journalists have to balance their desire to print the news with personal rights to privacy. Argues that a working knowledge of ethics and law helps journalism students resolve such issues. Discusses ethical issues; legal aspects of privacy; and "training" administrators. Offers a list of questions to ask, six notable court…

Questions whether a focus on ethics and rights leads to a narrow idea of the library profession and its clients, using issues of censorship as examples. Highlights include a proposed definition of information; information flow; privacy; ethical debates and consequences for libraries; and the American Library Association Code of Ethics. (Author/LRW)

Examines the role of self-regulation in the establishment of an informational privacy policy. Discusses information technologies and changes in commerce; personal information in databases; demands for accountability; institutional and enforcement models; legislation; government failures; self-regulation and the individual; and potential problems…

Describes how barracks renovations at West Point have included the replacement of privacy partitions and screens in restrooms and locker rooms with items of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is more durable than metal. (EV)

Discusses information overload and society's and libraries' responses to technology. Considers eight values that libraries should focus on and how they relate to technology in libraries: democracy, stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, privacy, rationalism, equity of access, and building harmony and balance. (LRW)