White Paper on Information Practices Act expected early next year
by David Kelleher
An information Practices Act is being prepared by the government aimed at striking a balance between the commercial value of information and protecting the privacy of individuals.
This was announced during the KPMP international conference on e-commerce held last week. The Act, which conforms to the relevant EU directives and other international trends, "will set an operating framework which strikes the delicate balance between preserving the commercial value of information as a resource with the protection of individual privacy through appropriate access," Prime Minister Dr Eddie Fenech Adami said.
This Act builds extensively on previous legislation that was drawn up nearly three years ago but was not implemented. The draft for the new Act has already been completed and is expected to be made public early next year.
It is envisaged that a White Paper will be published for public discussion and will centre on three main areas: computer misuse, data protection and electronic communication and transaction. The latter covers a wide range of topics including various e-commerce issues and electronic signatures, for example.
The Prime Minister said the government is all in favour of advancements in the sector but is also aware of the importance of providing a legislative infrastructure "which will support the growth of e-commerce".
"The government intends to do its utmost to provide the vision, infrastructure and regulation required to create a climate that encourages innovative economic ventures.
However, it is then up to the business sector, supported by this environment, to successfully restructure their operations and business methods in order to compete effectively in the electronic marketplace.
"Public-private partnership is the key to the development of a prosperous e-commerce sector," Dr Fenech Adami said.
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