Staying Informed and Making Yourself Heard

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Groups active in privacy advocacy

There are many consumer rights and advocacy groups that are actively involved in researching privacy issues and working for privacy rights. The following list gives a sample.

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
An excellent source for timely, up-to-date information on all aspects of privacy issues. It has descriptions and links to many other consumer privacy advocacy groups and resources. Remar recommends their website and resources as a great place to start.

Consumers Union
The organization that publishes Consumer Reports is also active in many consumer issues including privacy issues, particularly financial privacy, identity theft, and Consumer Web Watch.

Privacy.org
Privacy.org provides “daily news, information, and initiatives on privacy. This web page is a joint project of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Privacy International.”

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
This site provides information on various privacy issues and links to information from a variety of sources. Check out the Privacy Survival Guide.

Federal Trade Commission Privacy Initiatives
The Federal Trade Commission is the government agency with oversight of consumer fraud and privacy issues in the marketplace (and that means via phone or online as well as in person). You can file complaints about spam, identity theft, or fraud related to any transaction (online or in person) using links on the Privacy Initiative.

Center for Democracy and Technology
This organization focuses on IT, the Internet, and public policy related to privacy issues and advocacy.

Liberty Coalition
The Liberty Coalition focuses on restrictions on privacy, autonomy and liberty related issues such as the Patriot Act, National Identification Cards/National Drivers License and Government data banks. They also cover medical and financial privacy and confidentiality.

Contacting Your Government Representatives

• Locate and write to your Member of U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator, or President as well as local and state officials
• Write U.S. Representative
• Write U.S. Senator

This handout for Remar Sutton's Privacy seminars was prepared by Remar Sutton, CCU's StraightTalk spokesperson & Remar Sutton & Associates, for Corning StraightTalk, October 2006. All rights reserved.