[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 83 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23525-23526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11300]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Notice of ``Social Security Forums: Privacy and Customer Service
in the Electronic Age''
AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).
ACTION: Notice.
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Places and Times of Public Forums
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Hartford, Conn., State of Connecticut, May 5, 1997.
Legislative Office Bldg., Room 1-D, 210
Capitol Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines Convention May 16.
Center.
San Jose, Cal., San Jose State May 28.
University, Student Union Bldg.
Austin, Tex.............................. June 6.
Atlanta, Ga., Richard E. Russell, Federal June 10.
Bldg.
Washington, D.C.......................... June 16.
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Locations of the other forums will be announced later.
Type of Meeting: The forums are open to the public.
Purpose: In our efforts to make it easier and simpler for our
customers to deal with us, we are seeking new ways to interact with the
public. SSA seeks the public's views on how the agency can provide
electronic services to the public through the Internet while protecting
the privacy of individual information in our records.
Social Security is committed to providing timely and quality
service to its customers, while safeguarding individual privacy. To
help meet these commitments, SSA's business plan includes the testing
and implementation of secure electronic services directly to the public
on networks such as the Internet. Over the past year, SSA has initiated
several important Internet test services. One of these tests allows
individuals to request and receive their Personal Earnings and Benefit
Estimate Statement (PEBES) using an online, interactive process at the
Social Security Administration Internet server, Social Security Online
(http://www.ssa.gov).
PEBES information includes a year-by-year display of an
individual's earnings covered by Social Security and Medicare; the
Social Security taxes paid, and an estimate of retirement, survivors,
and disability benefits. The PEBES does not include current year
earnings, employer information, or any information that could reveal
the whereabouts of an individual.
Nothing is more important to Social Security than maintaining the
public's
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confidence in our ability to carry out our mission by protecting the
privacy of sensitive information we maintain about individual workers
and beneficiaries. That confidence was questioned following the start
of our test of the interactive PEBES service. In response to those
concerns, Social Security suspended the interactive PEBES test on April
9, 1997. When the online service was suspended, the Acting Commissioner
stated that he wanted to conduct a series of forums with the public to
discuss issues of privacy and security in providing electronic services
directly to the public. Our desire is to provide customers with ready
access to their personal information without compromising privacy and
without excessive barriers and costs.
In soliciting public views in the forums (and in comments outside
the forums), SSA welcomes expert and general public input on the
following questions:
--In providing electronic services, what information should SSA require
from a customer for authentication of identity?
--Beyond information obtained directly from the customer, what further
safeguards should SSA employ to support customer authentication and
privacy in electronic transactions? Which safeguards should be employed
in the near term, and which in the longer term?
--Should we reinstate the PEBES online service with minor additions to
the safeguards we had in place, should we reinstate it only with
fundamental changes to our safeguards, or should we not reinstate it at
all?
--If you believe electronic PEBES should be reinstated, what additional
safeguards should we include?
--Because the question of maintaining privacy in electronic
transactions has far-reaching implications in both the public and
private sectors, what other matters should SSA consider in addressing
this major public policy issue?
Ground Rules and Agenda
The following general procedure will be followed for each forum:
Experts and members of the general public are invited to
attend the forums, state their views on these issues to an SSA
executive panel, and submit written statements.
Statements may be submitted to SSA before, at, or after
the forums, with all statements submitted no later than June 20, 1997.
Each statement should include a one-page summary of the submitter's
views, focusing primarily on answers to the questions posed above.
Each panel member will have five to eight minutes, and
each member of the public will have four minutes, to state his/her
views, with added time given to respond to questions seeking
clarification from the SSA executive panel.
Agenda (subject to change):
11:30 am
Registration of experts and members of the public
Noon
Welcome and introduction by SSA panel; explanation of ground rules
12:30 pm
Panel of privacy experts and consumer advocates presents its views
1:30 pm
Panel of computer technology experts presents its views
2:45 pm
Panel of business experts (commerce, banking, financial planning)
presents its views
3:45 pm
Members of public present their views
5.30 pm
Closing remarks by SSA executive panel
National Electronic Town Meeting
In addition to these public forums, SSA will conduct a National
Electronic Town Meeting through its Internet web site. Dates and other
details will be available later on Social Security Online, www.ssa.gov.
How to Notify SSA
Mail:
SSA Forums, Social Security Administration, Room 4-C-5 Annex,
Baltimore MD 21235
Fax: 410-965-0695
Internet mail: [email protected]
We welcome your written statement even if you are unable to attend
one of the forums or participate in the electronic town meeting.
Questions about forum procedures may be telephoned to: Linda
Thibodeaux, Social Security Administration, 410-966-8222.
Dated: April 25, 1997.
Joan E. Wainwright,
Deputy Commissioner for Communications.
[FR Doc. 97-11300 Filed 4-29-97; 8:45 am]
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