A government panel is now fleshing out a blueprint for basic legislation designed to protect personal information held by public and private organizations -- information that makes it possible to identify the individuals involved, such as depositors lists held by banks. It is, in principle, necessary to safeguard such personal information. But regulations should be kept within reasonable bounds, particularly for private organizations. Safeguards that are too stringent or detailed could undermine freedom of expression.

The panel is advised to respect the voluntary restraints being exercised by the media, such as newspapers and television networks, and make sure that public authorities do not meddle with reporting activities. Personal information held by the media for "reporting purposes" should be excluded from the proposed legislation.

The draft outline, announced in June, sets five principles. One, information should be used for explicit purposes and only to the necessary extent. Two, accuracy of information should be maintained. Three, information should be obtained by proper methods. Four, it should be used only after appropriate safeguards are taken. And five, individuals involved should be able to know how their information is used.