Research often requires using sensitive data to answer important questions. The ethical collection and analysis of personal information can be challenging to do while still protecting the privacy of the implicated individuals, honoring informed consent, and complying with other legal obligations. The technology, policies, and ethical considerations for researchers are constantly shifting, sometimes making it difficult to keep up. That’s why FPF engages stakeholders across academia and industry to produce recommendations, best practices, and ethical review structures that promote responsible research. Our work is centered around streamlining, encouraging, and promoting responsible research that respects essential privacy and ethical considerations throughout the research lifecycle. FPF works with policymakers to develop legislative protections that support effective, responsible research with strong privacy safeguards, including hosting events that allow policymakers and regulators to engage directly with practitioners from academia, advocacy, and industry.
FPF also has an Ethics and Data in Research Working Group. This group receives late-breaking analysis of emerging legislation affecting research and data, meets to discuss the ethical and technological challenges of conducting research, and collaborates to create best practices to protect privacy, decrease risk, and increase data sharing for research, partnerships, and infrastructure. Learn more and join here.
FPF Advisory Board Member Amie Stepanovich Discusses 'Why Inclusion Matters'
Yesterday, Future of Privacy Forum Advisory Board Member, Amie Stepanovich, U.S. Policy Manager at Access Now, published an article explaining the importance of ensuring marginalized communities have greater influence on how emerging technologies are being developed.
2nd Annual McGowan Forum on Ethics: The Challenge of Big Data
On October 26, 2017, John Verdi, FPF’s Vice President of Policy, was a panelist for the National Archives Foundation’s 2nd Annual McGowan Forum on Ethics: The Challenge of Big Data. The panel discussed the ethical responsibility of those who compile and track citizens’ personal data. The conversation focused around what responsibility corporations and governments have to protect their customers and be transparent in regard to possible data hacks.
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Ethical Applications
On September 25, 2017, the Future of Privacy Forum and the Information Accountability Foundation will co-host an official side event at the International Conference of Data Protection Commissioners. The event follows IAF’s publication of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Enhanced Data Stewardship, and FPF’s curation of leading research highlighting the privacy challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Bridging Industry and Academia to Tackle Responsible Research and Privacy Practices
As more human interactions move online and the amount and variety of information shared digitally continues to grow, decisions regarding the collection, sharing, and use of this data must take into account both ethical and privacy considerations. It is important that industry and academia come together to find joint solutions for making these difficult decisions regarding privacy and ethics to maximize the benefits of data-driven research and practices, while ensuring that harms and negative outcomes are prevented.
Privacy Protective Research: Facilitating Ethically Responsible Access to Administrative Data
Jules Polonetsky, CEO, Future of Privacy Forum, Omer Tene, Senior Fellow, Future of Privacy Forum, and Daniel Goroff, Vice President and Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation authored a paper titled Privacy Protective Research: Facilitating Ethically Responsible Access to Administrative Data. This paper will be featured in an upcoming edition of The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
Announcing the Inaugural Issue of Future of Privacy Forum's Privacy Scholarship Reporter
Future of Privacy Forum is pleased to announce it has published the inaugural issue of the Privacy Scholarship Reporter. This regular newsletter will highlight recent privacy research and is published by the Privacy Research and Data Responsibility Network (RCN), an FPF initiative supported by the National Science Foundation.
FPF Joins Leading Civil Society Groups, Academics and Companies to Participate in the Work of the Partnership on AI
Today, the Partnership on AI announced a new group of key stakeholders who will work with the Partnership’s Board of Directors to define and advance a shared vision of artificial intelligence that benefits people and society. The Future of Privacy Forum is proud to join this organization and help drive this important work forward.
AI Ethics: The Privacy Challenge
The Future of Privacy Forum and the Brussels Privacy Hub of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) are partnering with IEEE Security & Privacy in a call for papers focused on AI Ethics: The Privacy Challenge. Selected papers will be featured at The Brussels Privacy Symposium, an academic program jointly presented by the Brussels Privacy Hub of the VUB and FPF’s National Science Foundation supported Research Coordination Network.
Good Data Collaborative to Advance Responsible Data Use
The Good Data Collaborative seeks to identify gaps in resources to assist civil society in using data responsibly through distinct activities: a landscape assessment of existing tools and resources, as well as academic literature; a consultation with key stakeholders and current and potential users of the resources; and a redesigned, central repository of resources to help them address responsible data challenges in their work.
FPF Welcomes New Fellows
FPF is pleased to welcome Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna and Leslie Harris!