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.
Conference Proceedings – Beyond IRBs Designing Ethical Review Processes for Big Data Research
Today, FPF is pleased to make available the Conference Proceedings from our Beyond IRBs: Designing Ethical Review Processes for Big Data Research workshop. The workshop, co-hosted by the Washington & Lee School of Law and supported by the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, aimed to identify processes and commonly accepted ethical principles for data research in academia, government and industry.
Parents Support School Tech and Data, But Want Privacy Assurances: FPF 2016 Parent Survey
In 2015, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) set out to gain a better understanding of what public school parents actually know and want concerning the use of technology and collection of data in their children’s schools, as well as their perspectives on the benefits and risks of student data use within the educational system.
Jules Polonetsky Featured on Modern Workplace
On October 11, 2016, FPF’s CEO, Jules Polonetsky, was featured on Modern Workplace for “The Privacy Balance: Staying secure and ethical with your data.” The webinar focused on how to navigate common blind spots in data security and avoid privacy pitfalls. Jules discussed tips for creating an organization that is profitable and ethical.
W&L Law Review Publishes First-ever Disclosure of Facebook Internal Review Process
The Facebook study was the product of a symposium sponsored by W&L Law and theFuture of Privacy Forum (FPF), a DC-based think tank that promotes responsible data privacy policies. The topic of the symposium, as the Facebook paper suggests, was ethical review processes for big data research, with an emphasis on the ethical challenges of internal corporate research by companies that are able to harvest massive amounts of digital data. The event was also supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
Examining Ethics, Privacy, and Research Reviews
Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Ohio State University’s Program on Data and Governance are holding a discussion of ethics, privacy and practical research reviews in corporate settings. This timely event, which follows the White House’s call to develop strong data ethics frameworks, convened corporate and academic leaders to discuss how to integrate ethical and privacy considerations into innovative data projects and research.
Advancing Knowledge Regarding Practical Solutions for De-Identification of Personal Data: A Call for Papers
De-identification of personal information plays a central role in current privacy policy, law, and practice. Yet there are deep disagreements about the efficacy of de-identification to mitigate privacy risks. Some critics argue that it is impossible to eliminate privacy harms from publicly released data using de-identification because other available data sets will allow attackers to identify individuals through linkage attacks.
June 14th Event: A Roundtable on Ethics, Privacy, and Research Reviews
Please join the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Ohio State University’s Program on Data and Governance in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, for a discussion of ethics, privacy and practical research reviews in corporate settings.
Scientists Are Just as Confused About the Ethics of Big-Data Research as You
“The IRB may make very different decisions based on who is on the board, what university it is, and what they’re feeling that day,” says Kelsey Finch, policy counsel at the Future of Privacy Forum. There are hundreds of these IRBs in the US—and they’re grappling with research ethics in the digital age largely on their own.
White House Releases Report on Big Data and Discrimination
FPF has been an early and eager participant in this discussion and was pleased to see the report’s appreciation for the potential of Big Data. In dealing with the risks of discrimination posed by realization of Big Data’s potential, FPF sees strong data ethics framework as a necessary and effective addition to the raw potential of technology.
FPF Welcomes New Senior Fellow – Ira Rubinstein
FPF is proud to welcome its newest Senior Fellow, Ira Rubinstein. Ira will be working with FPF staff, fellows and members on a number of cross-Atlantic privacy issues and will be collaborating with EU academics and institutions on projects focused on de-identification, ethics, big data, and other issues. Ira Rubinstein is a Senior Fellow at […]