“Access Washington has earned a four-star rating – the highest available – from the independent privacy review start-up called enonymous.com.The state’s portal was one of 26,000 web sites reviewed for the content of their privacy statements by enonymous.com staff. The Enonymous Privacy Seal program intends to inform people about how a web site will use personal information before people release information to the site. Enonymous characterizes its service as a complement to privacy programs administered through Truste and Better Business Bureau Online but, in contrast to them, is the only privacy seal that money can’t buy. Along with Access Washington, sites eligible for the Enonymous Privacy Seal program include aol.com, bluemountainarts.com, and digitalcity.com. The top sites that respect personal privacy adhere to two very simple guidelines: – The site will never contact you without your explicit permission. – The site will never share your contact information with third parties. The Enonymous program was recently featured on the CBS radio network. Serving as a portal to over 130 state agencies, boards and commissions, Access Washington indexes government information in a manner designed to be user-friendly and adds a new level of transaction-based services.This four-star privacy rating for the state’s web portal confirms our commitment to protecting citizens’ private information while increasing online government services, said Steve Kolodney, director of the Department of Information Services. Developed and managed by DIS, Access Washington allows citizens and businesses to access government information and services on their own time and at their convenience, 24 hours a day, without leaving home and having to wait in line, saving government agencies staff time and other resources.Popular online services of the site include Employment Security’s WORK Job Search, the Department of Revenue’s Unclaimed Property and the Department of Labor and Industries’ Contractor Registration Inquiry.Access Washington has gained national recognition since its launch by Governor Gary Locke in November 1998. The state’s portal won Best Public Service Site in the prestigious Business on the Internet Awards. Government Technology magazine named it the Best State Government Web Site. The National Association of State Information Resource Executives honored the site with a 1999 Recognition Award for Best Service Application.”