Bush, Citing Privacy, Swears Off E-Mailing Family

April 5, 2001

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has sworn off e-mail as a form of communication, citing privacy concerns.

Bush used to have a wide circle of family and friends to whom he exchanged e-mails as a way to stay in touch, particularly during his presidential campaign when he traveled frequently.

But that has come to a screeching halt now that Bush is in the White House.

``I used to be an avid e-mailer, and I e-mailed to my daughters or e-mailed to my father, for example, and I don't want those e-mails to be in the public domain,'' Bush said on Thursday to the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

He said he does not e-mail out of concern his private communications could be subject to freedom of information laws and could be made public.

Bush said, however, that his administration will cooperate fully with freedom of information requests if they do not jeopardize national security.