The NTIA source wouldn’t draw any connection to the ten-country letter this week and the Commerce dept.’s new effort on privacy policy, but said one goal is to be able to issue a report by early fall on privacy issues and the Internet and provide policy advice to the White House.

The Commerce Dept. has formed what it calls the Internet Policy Task Force to explore “current policy frameworks, and ways to address the challenges of the new internet economy and society in a manner that preserves and enhances personal privacy protection.”

The Internet Policy Task Force is comprised of staff members from NTIA, the International Trade Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Patent & Trademark Office, which will be coordinated through the Commerce Dept.’s Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, which reports to the Secretary. Another government agency, the Federal Trade Commission, also is known to play a role in tackling privacy issues, but is not involved on the new task force at this point.

in Network World's Wide Area Network section.