Gov. Jay Inslee today announced new educational tools to help Washingtonians be better informed about cyber privacy, protecting personal information in the digital landscape and state government policies and practices related to data collection.
The state has launched a new website and privacy guide that provide internet privacy protection tips and strategies. It also provides details about personal information state agencies collect and retain and information about public disclosure laws.
“Increasingly, businesses, government and personal transactions are happening online. I want to make sure our state agencies are taking the privacy of our customers seriously and that we’re helping Washingtonians understand how to protect their privacy and personal information,” Inslee said. “Just as Washington is a technology leader in so many important fields—from software development to e-commerce—we strive to set an example of ‘best practices’ when it comes to collecting and protecting the personal information citizens provide when engaging with state government services.”
“The Privacy Guide is the first of its kind for the state of Washington,” said Chief Privacy Officer Alex Alben. “We hope the new guide and the privacy website give citizens a fuller of sense of both personal privacy rights and of the state’s commitment to ensuring our state government does everything in its power to safeguard personal data.”
In April of 2015, Inslee appointed Alben as the state’s first-ever chief privacy officer, reporting to Michael Cockrill, Washington’s chief information officer and director of Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech).
“When I began dealing with legislation related to drones during the most recent legislative session, I quickly recognized that drones give rise to more than technology matters,” said Cockrill. “The policy and legal issues triggered by drones definitely catalyzed my office to make privacy a strategic priority. Many of us believe that personal privacy represents the new frontier of human rights. The new Privacy Guide and the privacy.wa.gov website are significant steps toward educating people in our state about privacy policies and the ways consumers can protect their data online.”
The Privacy Guide is available on the privacy website at http://privacy.wa.gov. Additionally, it will be made available in printed pamphlets at libraries statewide.
About Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech)
Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is "the consolidated technology services agency" (RCW 43.105.006) charged with enabling public agencies to better serve the people of Washington State. WaTech operates the state's core technology infrastructure--the central network and data center; supports enterprise applications; and innovates services and practices through e-Government. The agency is also charged with preparing and leading the implementation of a strategic direction and enterprise architecture for state government IT. WaTech houses the State Office of Cyber Security and Washington OneNet.