Summary: The amount of internal Government paperwork; the amount of paperwork required of business, State and local governments, and individuals; and the need for preserving individual privacy in Federal records systems were discussed. New technologies and greater demand for personal information by Federal agencies have raised serious questions regarding the potential for invasion of individual privacy. Congress has responded by enacting the Privacy Act which has been beneficial in preserving individual privacy in Federal records systems. The Act establishes a Privacy Protection Study Commission that studies various aspects of privacy in both the private and public sectors. The Commission outlined three basic objectives for an effective privacy protection policy: minimization of intrusiveness, maximization of fairness, and the creation of legitimate and enforceable expectations of confidentiality. Numerous industries and associations are taking action to comply voluntarily with the principles of the Act. Further, the Federal Paperwork Commission was established to make recommendations to eliminate needless paperwork while assuring that the Federal Government has the information necessary to meet the mandate of law and to operate efectively. The Commission found that not only financial costs, but psychological costs of anxiety, frustration, anger, and anti-Government attitudes could be reduced by more appropriate paperwork requirements. The Paperwork Commission reported on records management, the reports clearing process, confidentiality and privacy, information resources management, and the role of Congress in Federal paperwork reform. Accurate, timely, and complete information, effectively communicated, is the lifeblood of any organization. However, too much information, inaccurate information, or poorly presented information confuses, or even paralyzes, an organization.
