Local E-Government Critical Success Factors
Balance the right to privacy with the right to know
Local governments collect and store potentially sensitive personal information in many forms such as police reports, divorce proceedings, and property records. Although much of this information is accessible through the Freedom of Information Law, privacy concerns emerge because the Internet offers such easy access to it. For example, one local government official said Internet accessible property images posed a potential threat to law enforcement officers. The locality had to review and adapt their information policies to strike a balance that ensured an individual's right to privacy and the public's right to easily access that person's property information.