The US government's contracts with Internet companies for video, photo sharing and other Web 2.0 services may have ignored key privacy obligations of federal agencies, according the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the group show that the General Services Administration moved ahead with the agreements even as guidance for President Obama's January open government and transparency directive was delayed. Google, even after addressing privacy problems associated with the White House's use of embedded YouTube videos, is "still calling the shots on federal privacy policy," EPIC argues. The watchdog group is planning to pursue related documents with the GSA and also will urge Congress to conduct oversight of the GSA's contracting for Web 2.0 services. "Our primary concern is that the GSA has failed to protect the privacy rights of US citizens," said EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg. He added that he is worried the broader federal contracting system "simply broke down" and that the GSA "really had no idea how to manage these contracts." "As the administration uses new media tools to open government up, we are committed to protecting users' privacy. That is why when we asked for public comment on a new cookie policy, we specifically identified privacy considerations as a main area of focus," said Kenneth Baer, communications director for the Office of Management and Budget.
