Across the United States, evolving data collection and processing practices and advances in artificial intelligence are driving new digital services, technologies, and socially beneficial research – while also raising new opportunities, risks, and questions for individuals and communities. In response, state and federal policymakers are considering new legislative and regulatory frameworks on three interconnected fronts: comprehensive consumer privacy laws that establish baseline rights and protections for personal data across the economy; frameworks that target specific sectors and practices such as automated decisionmaking, biometric identification, companion chatbots, data-driven pricing, data brokerage, frontier AI model safety, genetic data, and health data; and youth-specific privacy and online safety laws that set distinct rules for minors. These three tracks rarely stay in their lanes: a comprehensive privacy law may include AI provisions, an AI safety bill may carve out rules for minors, a youth online safety law may hinge on biometric age verification. Understanding the landscape requires understanding both the individual pieces and how they fit together.
FPF’s U.S. Legislation team provides expert, independent, pragmatic analysis of state and federal legislative and regulatory approaches to privacy, AI, and youth online safety – three distinct but increasingly intertwined issue areas. The team tracks emerging proposals, compares new laws against existing frameworks, analyzes implementation and compliance implications, and helps policymakers and stakeholders understand how legal requirements interact with current technologies, business practices, and data uses.
Through reports, blog posts, legislative and policy analyses, webinars, in-person and virtual peer-to-peer gatherings, and educational programs, FPF helps the broader technology policy and governance community understand the mechanisms and strategies available to protect privacy, promote responsible AI development and deployment, and advance youth online safety. FPF does not typically support or oppose particular bills. Instead, the U.S. Legislation team focuses on explaining the practical and legal implications of proposals – individually and as they interact with one another. This work helps ensure that privacy, AI, and youth safety compliance and policy strategies remain future-looking, adaptable, and workable for the continued, beneficial use of data and AI.
FPF’s U.S. Legislation team is led by Tatiana Rice, Senior Director.
Amend the U.S. Privacy Act to Provide Further Privacy Protections to European and Other Non-US Persons
I had the pleasure of participating recently at a Georgetown Law Center conference called “Privacy Act @40.” My panel was on “Looking Ahead,” and my comments focused on new ways that the United States is (and can) extend appropriate privacy rights to citizens of other countries. Today, just a couple of weeks later, Google has […]
FTC Wants Tools to Increase Transparency and Trust in Big Data
However we want to define “Big Data” – and the FTC’s latest workshop on the subject suggests a consensus definition remains elusive – the path forward seems to call for more transparency and the establishment of firmer frameworks on the use of data. As Chairwoman Ramirez suggested in her opening remarks, Big Data calls for […]
FPFcast: Stalking and the Location Privacy Protection Act with Cindy Southworth
June 30, 2014: Stalking and the Location Privacy Protection Act [audio In this podcast, FPF Policy Counsel Joseph Jerome talks with Cindy Southworth from the National Network to End Domestic Violence about stalking apps and how Senator Franken’s proposed bill might curtail their use. Click on the media player above to listen, or download the […]
Synopsis: Education Privacy Hearing—How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy
Yesterday, the House of Representatives Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education and the Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies held a joint hearing to discuss “How Data Mining Threatens Student Privacy.” Four witnesses presented testimony from a number of perspectives: (1) Joel R. Reidenberg, Chair and Professor of […]
FPF list of Federal Anti-discrimination laws
Civil rights groups have recently highlighted the importance of respecting civil rights in this era of “big data” . The White House has echoed these concerns in its Big Data Privacy Review. As supporters of the benefits of responsible data use, we thought it would be helpful to companies and advocates to have a convenient list of existing […]
FPF Statement on White House Big Data Report
Today, the White House released its report on big data and the future of privacy. The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a DC-based think tank advocating responsible privacy and data practices, has closely followed the work of the Review Group. “Today’s White House report on Big Data carefully identifies most of the key issues in this […]
Comments to the FCC About "Anonymized" and "Deidentification"
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission posted FPF’s comments about “anonymization” and “deidentification.” The comments come in response to a request from Public Knowledge that the FCC clarify whether “anonymized” or “deidentified” but non-aggregate call records constitute individually identifiable “customer proprietary network information” under Section 222 of the Communications Act. FPF submitted comments to address the argument that […]
A “Cutting-Edge” Guide to Privacy For Not-So-“Cutting-Edge” Phones
Now that the New Year is upon us, California’s Do Not Track transparency bill AB 370 is officially in effect. As websites start to disclose in their privacy policies how they respond to Do Not Track signals, it’s helpful to explain a little more about Do Not Track, as well as other options consumers can […]
Tracking Do Not Track: New Ad Network Data Shows That 8 Percent Of Users Have DNT On
Getting Ready For Tracking Transparency Law to Kick In Starting in 2014, California’s new law AB 370 requires all websites that collect personally identifying information to disclose in their privacy policies how they respond to browser Do Not Track signals. FPF has launched AllAboutDNT as a resource for companies preparing to make a statement about […]
New Survey on App Stores and Account Info Sharing – What This Means for COPPA
FPF is committed to helping the app marketplace comply with the FTC’s revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule. As explained in our public comments filed with the FTC, we think that one way to help companies and parents alike is to encourage collaboration. For example, by leveraging a common platform, “operators” under the […]