Making the Grade?
A Report Card on US Policies for the Information Society

With the presidential election rapidly approaching, people are taking stock of what the Bush Administration has or has not achieved during its time in office. But with much of the public debate focusing on national security and the economy, the administration's record in other critically important policy arenas often receives less thorough consideration. One such arena is information and communication technology (ICT) policy and the governance of the information society. What has the administration achieved with its policies on telecommunications, radio frequency spectrum, mass media, the Internet, electronic commerce, privacy protection, spam and consumer protection, and media convergence? What about its policies on the application of ICT in fields like privacy protection and homeland security, electoral voting, and the work place? What has it done with respect to global policy challenges like Internet governance, international trade, intellectual property, and the developing countries? The time is ripe to take stock of the record in these arenas, and to consider the extent to which the Bush Administration's policies have promoted the public interest. Have they helped to foster technological innovation and a dynamic information economy? Have they increased citizens? ability to access and use ICT and related services? Have they contributed to a vibrant and open public sphere of ideas, strengthened our democracy, protected our civil liberties, and promoted our values abroad?

This conference will take up these and related questions. Experts from academia, civil society organizations, and the private sector will analyze the administration's performance on a variety of ICT issues and each give a "grade" on the merits. Later in the conference, these grades will be aggregated andaveraged in a "Report Card"---a big picture overview of and cumulative final grade on current US policy. The conference will conclude with an open discussion on how to advance a public interest agenda that is suited to the current technological and policy environment, and on the roles that CPSR and other progressive advocacy organizations can play in such an effort. The conference sessions will be interactive and offer ample opportunity for audience members to weigh in with their views.

This is the second time that the Communication, Culture and Technology program has hosted CPSR's annual conference on the Georgetown University campus. The 1996 conference, Communications Unleashed: What's at Stake? Who Benefits? How to Get Involved, examined the ICT policies then being pursued at by the Clinton Administration. http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg96/program.html. That CPSR has critically analyzed the policies of successive administrations, both Democrat and Republican, underscores that this event is not a partisan political undertaking. CPSR takes no position on electoral campaigns and does not support particular candidates. The focus of the discussion will be on policy, not politics.

Conference Panels

Saturday, October 16 - 9am - 5:30pm

Secure Online Registration Form or until Wednesday, Call 650-322-3778

CPSR's 2004 Norbert Wiener Award Reception for Barry Steinhardt

Director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Program on Technology and Liberty

Saturday October 16 - 6:00-8:30 pm

Mr. Smith's of Georgetown
3104 M Street NW
Washington, DC

Mr. Steinhardt has been a prominent advocate for privacy and other civil liberties in the face of technologically-oriented threats. In addition to testifying before the U.S. Congress, he has addressed audiences ranging from the National Conference of State Legislatures to the UNESCO Conference on Intellectual Property. As the latter suggests, his activism has not been confined to the U.S. He was a co-founder of the Global Internet Liberty Campaign-the world's first international coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) concerned with the privacy and free speech rights of Internet users-and a member of the US delegation to the G-8 Government and Private Sector Tokyo Conference on Cyber Crime. His advocacy also extends to the media. His essays have appeared in such diverse publications as USA Today, CIO magazine, and the journal of the Davos World Economic Forum and he has appeared on a variety of news and talk shows on major television networks.

For more information about this year's Wiener Award, see http://www.cpsr.org/news/press/wiener2004/

For more information on Barry Steinhardt and his work, see http://archive.aclu.org/about/bsbio.html

Secure Online Registration Form or until Wednesday, Call 650-322-3778

Annual Meeting of CPSR Members

Sunday, October 17 - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Building 42 - McCarthy Hall
The McShain - Large Lounge
Georgetown University

Free and open to the public. Secure Online Registration Form or until Wednesday, Call 650-322-3778

Discussion Topics to Include, inter alia:

1. Introduction of board members
2. New Web Site, Publications
3. The State of CPSR
4. Reports from the CPSR Office
5. Ford Foundation Grant and CPSR Financial Conditions
6. Promoting Member Engagement
7. Working Groups and Chapters
8. Coalition Building with Other Public Interest Groups
9. New Programmatic Initiatives

Logistics

Campus Map Building 42 -- McCarthy Hall the McShain -- Large Lounge

From the main campus entrance on 37th Street, go left and then toward the back of the campus, next to the football field. Signs will be up around campus on Saturday and Sunday.

Georgetown University Bus Schedule

Departs only every hour on Saturday. And is not in service on Sunday.

From Reagan National:

• Metro (train) BLUE LINE to Rosslyn or
• Cab for about $10.

From Dulles International:

Public transportation options are very limited.

• Super Shuttle maybe $25
• Cab maybe $40 .

Hotel rooms can be booked individually at the Marriott Courtyard Rosslyn, 1533 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA (+1-800-321-2211). CPSR has a handful of rooms reserved to save about $20/night.

Members are welcome to contribute to the planning process. Volunteers for many aspects of the events are needed.

Please contact Susan Evoy - evoy(a)cpsr.org - if you are interested in a room at the Marriott, or helping with the weekend.

Watch for updates