Emerging Coalition Against Government Secrecy - January 27, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 2

January 27, 2003 Vol. 4 No. 2:

Published: 01/27/2003

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Emerging Coalition Against Government Secrecy

Through claims of executive privilege, permitting industry to keep secret the information that companies voluntarily share with government, creating more loopholes to the Freedom of Information Act, and keeping information critical to environmental protection off the Internet, this administration and Congress are presiding over a new and unprecedented expansion of government secrecy. Recent interviews conducted by OMB Watch indicate that librarians, journalists, free speech and privacy advocates are increasingly concerned with the federal government's growing power to shield industry from the sunlight of disclosure, to withhold data useful in protecting wetlands, rivers, and public health, and to make decisions out of the glare of public scrutiny. In October, OMB Watch released a working paper, “The Bush Administration’s Secrecy Policy: A Call to Action to Protect Democratic Values.” To comment on this paper, please email Rick Blum, Information & Access project. Watch this space in the coming months as we bring you updates and information on ways you can help protect our freedoms and stop this unprecedented attack on our fundamental liberties.