Across the United States, evolving data collection and processing practices are driving digital services and socially beneficial research, but also pose increasing risks to individuals and communities that America’s existing sectoral privacy frameworks are insufficient to govern. In response, leaders in law and policy are considering more comprehensive approaches to privacy regulation, which establish baseline rights and protections for personal data throughout the economy. Years of negotiations in Congress culminated in the introduction of the bipartisan American Data Privacy and Protection Act in 2022; however, its fate remains uncertain. In the absence of federal legislation, five U.S. states—California, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Connecticut— enacted comprehensive consumer privacy laws between 2018-2022.
The Future of Privacy Forum provides expert, independent analysis of legislative and regulatory approaches to protecting data privacy interests. FPF does not typically support or oppose particular bills, but instead focuses on analyzing proposals in relation to existing privacy frameworks, sharing information on current data practices and technologies, and ensuring that data governance strategies are future-looking and adaptable.
FPF also engages with the broader privacy community through reports, blog posts, webinars, and educational programs such as the CPRA Law + Tech Series. It is our view that robust and durable policy outcomes can be achieved when all stakeholders are equipped to understand the key technologies, business practices, and legal mechanisms available to regulate privacy and data protection. FPF’s legislation work is led by Keir Lamont, Director.
Race Equity, Surveillance in the Post-Roe Era, and Data Protection Frameworks in the Global South are Major Topics During This Year’s Privacy Papers for Policymakers Event
Author: Randy Cantz, U.S. Policy Intern, Ethics and Data in Research and former Communications Intern at FPF The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) hosted a Capitol Hill event honoring 2022’s must-read privacy scholarship at the 13th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Awards ceremony. This year’s event featured an opening keynote by FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya […]
Utah Considers Proposals to Require Web Services to Verify Users’ Ages, Obtain Parental Consent to Process Teens’ Data
Update: On March 23, Governor Spencer Cox signed SB 152 and HB 311. While amendments were made to both bills, the concerns raised in FPF’s analysis remain. SB 152 leaves critical provisions, such as methods to verify age or obtain parental consent, to be established in further rulemaking, but questions remain regarding whether these can […]
FPF Statement on President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address
“Data protection and privacy are fundamental human rights. The benefits of modern technology in areas like mobility, health care, and education cannot be fully realized until a clear, comprehensive federal privacy law is enacted. Americans will benefit from a standard that provides individuals with needed protections and organizations with certainty and guidance. While privacy is […]
This Year’s Must-Read Privacy Papers to be Honored at Capitol Hill Event
The Future of Privacy Forum’s 13th Annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award Recognizes Influential Privacy Research Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) — a global non-profit focused on data protection headquartered in Washington, D.C. — announced the winners of its 13th annual Privacy Papers for Policymakers (PPPM) Awards. The PPPM Awards recognize leading privacy […]
The Future of Manipulative Design Regulation
Regulators in the United States and around the globe are bringing enforcement actions and crafting rules intended to combat manipulative design practices online. These efforts are complex and address a range of consumer protection issues, including privacy and data protection risks. They raise thorny questions about how to distinguish between lawful designs that encourage individuals […]
Driver Impairment and Privacy: What Lies Ahead for Driver Impairment Detection?
The 2021 Infrastructure Act mandates that the US Department of Transportation issue a rule requiring the creation and implementation of monitoring systems to deter drivers impaired by alcohol, inattention, or drowsiness. The Department of Transportation (DOT) must establish a Federal mandatory motor vehicle safety standard to “passively monitor a motor vehicle driver’s performance to accurately […]
Record Set: Assessing Points of Emphasis from Public Input on the FTC’s Privacy Rulemaking
More than 1,200 law firms, advocacy organizations, trade associations, companies, researchers, and others responded to the Federal Trade Commission’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on “Commercial Surveillance and Data Security.” Significantly, the ANPR initiates a process that may result in comprehensive regulation of data privacy and security in the United States, and also marks […]
FPF Provides Input on Draft Colorado Privacy Act Regulations
On September 30th, The Colorado Department of Law released draft regulations to implement the Colorado Privacy Act. The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) filed written comments in response to the proposed rules on November 7th. Furthermore, FPF’s Keir Lamont and Felicity Slater participated in public stakeholder sessions hosted by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office as […]
FPF at IAPP’s Europe Data Protection Congress 2022: Global State of Play, Automated Decision-Making, and US Privacy Developments
Authored by Christina Michelakaki, FPF Intern for Global Policy On November 16 and 17, 2022, the IAPP hosted the Europe Data Protection Congress 2022 – Europe’s largest annual gathering of data protection experts. During the Congress, members of the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) team moderated and spoke at three different panels. Additionally, on November […]
Five Big Questions (and Zero Predictions) for the U.S. State Privacy Landscape in 2023
Entering 2023, the United States remains one of the only global economic powers that lacks a comprehensive, national framework governing the collection and use of consumer data throughout the economy. Congress made unprecedented progress toward enacting baseline privacy legislation in 2022. However, the apparent impasse in the efforts to move H.R. 8152, the American Data […]