Readers seem to have liked
our post about the recent GAO report that summarized the U.S.
data privacy debate. For those interested in Internet law and
policy issues, there are plenty of other official reports that you
can use as primers and starting points for further research.
The Congressional Research Service, in particular, prepares many
excellent nonpartisan reviews of current policy issues. While CRS
doesn't make its reports available on its website, its reports
(as federal government works) are copyright free, and many
third-party sites make CRS reports available.
Data privacy
So for example, if you are focused on the
Edward Snowden revelations about NSA surveillance, CRS can give
you more background in its July 2013 report, "NSA Surveillance Leaks: Background and Issues for
Congress." The report covers what information is being
collected, the legal bases for the collection, the oversight
mechanisms, arguments for and against the current practices,
