The Electronic Frontier Foundation 1667 K St. NW, Suite 801 Washington DC 20006-1605 USA +1 202 861 7700 (voice) +1 202 861 1258 (fax) +1 202 861 1223 (BBS - 16.8k ZyXEL) +1 202 861 1224 (BBS - 14.4k V.32bis) Internet: ask@eff.org Internet fax gate: remote-printer.EFF@8.5.2.1.1.6.8.2.0.2.1.tpc.int HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 485 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10017-6104 TEL (212) 972-8400 FAX (212) 972-0905 Email: hrwnyc@hrw.org 1522 K Street, NW, #910 Washington, DC 20005-1202 TEL (202) 371-6592 FAX (202) 371-0124 Email: hrwdc@hrw.org TITLE: 2/16/95 Press Release on Letter to G-7 on Global Information Infrastructure For Further Information, Please Contact: Ann Beeson Human Rights Watch phone: 212-972-8400 x258 e-mail: beesona@hrw.org Marc Rotenberg Electronic Privacy Information Center phone: 202-544-9240 e-mail: rotenberg@epic.org HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS URGE GORE TO PROTECT FREE EXPRESSION ON INFO-HIGHWAY February 16, 1995 -- A coalition of leading human rights and civil liberties groups today urged Vice President Al Gore to carry the banner of free speech to Brussels where the G-7 will meet next week to discuss the future of the global information infrastructure (GII). The coalition alleges that the current U.S. agenda for the GII is incomplete because it fails to include core free expression principles. The Clinton Administration has stated that it wants to achieve support from the G-7 for five basic principles for building the GII: encouraging private investment; promoting competition; creating a flexible regulatory environment; providing open access to networks and services for providers and users; and ensuring universal service. The Administration gave a detailed description of these principles in a document released yesterday entitled "The Global Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Cooperation." The coalition asks the U.S. to add a "sixth principle" for adoption at next week's G-7 gathering that "explicitly recognizes a commitment to protect and promote the free exchange of information and ideas on the GII." The letter (a copy of which is attached) recommends that the Clinton Administration: -protect against censorship and promote diverse ideas and viewpoints on the GII. -support broad access to the GII by people of all nations. -promote strong information privacy rights on the GII. The group points to the inevitable impact the GII will have on social, political, and economic life. If properly designed, the GII will "motivate citizens to become more involved in decisionmaking at local and global levels as they organize, debate, and share information unrestricted by geographic distances or national borders." The letter was signed by Human Rights Watch, Electronic Privacy Information Center, American Civil Liberties Union, American Library Association, Article 19, Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, People for the American Way, and Privacy International.