The Obama administration's telecom advisory arm says it is
reaching out to ensure stakeholders can participate interactively at its
upcoming meeting on implementing the administration's privacy bill of rights.
The National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA), which is hosting the first of a series of meetings on
privacy on July 12, has agreed to have staffers act as proxies for those not
able to attend in person to relay questions and comments, and the meeting is
being webcast -- but the groups, which include the ACLU, Center for Digital
Democracy and Consumers Union, say that is inadequate.
"NTIA is working to ensure that all stakeholders - both
those in the room and those viewing the webcast - are able to participate meaningfully
in the July 12 multistakeholder meeting," said an NTIA spokesperson.
"More than 400 people have indicated that they will participate in person
or remotely. NTIA is committed to providing to remote participants an
opportunity to express their views that is comparable to what in-person
participants will have," said the spokesperson, adding that NTIA
recognizes the resource constraints on the groups and others and saying NTIA
would "continue to evaluate how to ensure robust participation by all
stakeholders in future meeting."
The groups called for real-time remote, interactive, accessto the meeting,
which will focus on mobile privacy.
