New Advertising & Marketing Programs for Top Wireless Carriers
Some mobile advertising and reporting news coming out of Advertising Week in NYC, as two wireless carriers make announcements about their marketing and advertising programs.
Sprint announced the launch of its new advertising platform called Pinsight Media+ in which customers will have “choice and control over whether they have their data anonymously used so that advertisers using the platform can give users better-targeted ads.” Sprint’s advertising program is opt-in while its marketing and reporting program which use aggregated data is opt-out. (link here to the Sprint consumer page explaining this)
Verizon Wireless announced its opt-out program called Precision Market Insights that will be used for marketing and reporting purposes. Verizon will use its mobile network to aggregate data that will provide brands and companies with “real insights on consumer behavior.”
FPF Mentioned in The Energy Datapalooza Fact Sheet, The White House
As part of the Energy Data Initiative, the Obama Administration hosted the Energy Datapalooza, highlighting entrepreneurs and innovators that are using freely available data from the government to build products, services, and apps that advance the future of clean energy in their Energy Datapalooza Fact Sheet. FPF was mentioned for its seal program, the first of its kind, which will be available for companies offering home energy management, and other services that seek to access consumer energy data in the.
Smart Grid Privacy Seal Program
FPF and TRUSTe announce Smart Grid Privacy Seal Program – The Future of Privacy Forum has developed a first of its kind privacy seal program for companies that use consumer energy information. The seal will be powered by TRUSTe, the leading data privacy management company with over 5,000 customers.
The Future of Privacy Forum and TRUSTe Launch a Smart Grid Privacy Seal Program
The Future of Privacy Forum and TRUSTe Launch a Smart Grid Privacy Seal Program
Leaders in Government and Industry Voice Their Support
WASHINGTON – The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), the Washington based think tank committed to advancing responsible data practices, today announced a first of its kind privacy seal program for companies that use consumer energy information. The seal will be powered by TRUSTe, the leading data privacy management company with over 5,000 customers.
The seal will be available to companies offering home energy management, remote home control or security, smart thermostats and other services that seek to access consumer energy data.
To create the program, FPF and TRUSTe worked with companies including AT&T, Comcast, Ecofactor, IBM, Intel, Motorola, Neustar, Opower, Tendril, and Verizon. Utilities and utility regulators also provided input on the program. The program will include an advisory committee including Edison Electric Institute, the GridWise Alliance and consumer advocates.
“Consumers, utility regulators and utilities must all be sure that companies that seek to access consumer energy data gain consumer consent and have responsible privacy practices in place,” said FPF Director Jules Polonetsky.
“The seal program is exactly the kind of self-regulatory approach that augments the legal framework protecting privacy, especially in an area that is new and developing,” said FPF Founder and Co-chair Christopher Wolf
“As a number of new and upcoming innovations for the home rely on the collection and use of consumer energy data, a self-regulatory program powered by independent third party enforcement will ensure that participating companies commit to responsible practices,” said TRUSTe CEO Chris Babel.
“I applaud the Future of Privacy Forum’s new privacy seal program which will help to ensure that personal consumer-usage data is strongly protected. The seal is a reflection of Privacy by Design which requires that a proactive approach be taken. PbD recognizes that privacy is best assured when it is strategically interwoven into operational processes and business practices,” said Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, an international leader in privacy issues.
“Opower works in partnership with 75 US utilities to deliver personalized energy-saving insight in a manner that ensures maximal data security and privacy. We applaud FPF for its leadership in developing this seal program, which will help ensure best practices as utilities seek to enhance consumer data access,” said Arkadi Gerney, Opower’s Senior Director for Policy, Partnerships and Public Affairs.
“Our work with utility companies and their customers around the world continually points to a shared, global concern over data privacy,” said Dan Fredrickson, Associate General Counsel for Tendril. “We are very proud to have been a part of this landmark consumer privacy initiative and believe it represents a big step towards alleviating consumer concerns.”
To learn more about the program, visit www.smartgridprivacy.org
For any questions, or to schedule an interview, please email [email protected].
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) is a Washington, DC based think tank that seeks to advance responsible data practices. The forum is led by Internet privacy experts Jules Polonetsky and Christopher Wolf and includes an advisory board comprised of leading figures from industry, academia, law and advocacy groups.
About TRUSTe
TRUSTe is the leading global data privacy management company and offers a broad suite of solutions that enable multinational companies to safely and efficiently handle the customer data powering their online businesses – including advertising, cloud services, mobile applications, and websites. Over 5,000 web properties from top companies like Apple, Disney, eBay, Forbes, HP, and Microsoft rely on TRUSTe to ensure compliance with evolving and complex international privacy requirements. TRUSTe’s mission, based on a “Truth in Privacy” framework, is built on a solid foundation of transparency, choice and accountability regarding the collection and use of personal information. TRUSTe’s privacy seal is recognized and trusted by millions of consumers worldwide as a sign of responsible privacy practices. For additional information on TRUSTe and its offerings, please visit http://www.truste.com.
Oct 1, 2012 – The Future of Privacy Forum and TRUSTe Launch a Smart Grid Privacy Seal Program
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), the Washington based think tank committed to advancing responsible data practices, today announced a first of its kind privacy seal program for companies that use consumer energy information. The seal will be powered by TRUSTe, the leading data privacy management company with over 5,000 customers. The seal will be available to companies offering home energy management, remote home control or security, smart thermostats and other services that seek to access consumer energy data.
First Meeting Planned for Multistakeholder Process on Smart Grid Data Privacy
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a Smart Grid Privacy Workshop on January 31, 2012. This was followed by the White House privacy blueprint, “Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World,” released on February 23, 2012. As a reaction to both events, the Federal Smart Grid Task Force will “facilitate a multistakeholder process to develop a Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC) for utility and third parties providing consumer energy use services.”
Those that are interested in joining this multi-stakeholder process can attend the first meeting on or about December 6, 2012, in Washington, D.C. This initial meeting will focus on developing a timeline and identifying the main elements of the Voluntary Code of Conduct (VCC).
Those that are interested in attending in person or remotely have been asked to visit the smartgrid.gov website to indicate how they would like to participate.
Mary Culnan
Dr. Mary J. Culnan is Professor Emeritus at Bentley University. She also serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Center for IT and the Global Economy (CITGE) at the Kogod School of
Business, American University.
Mary has testified before Congress, the Massachusetts Senate, and other government agencies
on a range of privacy issues. In 1993, she served on a White House Task Force on Presidential
Correspondence. From 1997-98, she served as a Commissioner on the President’s Commission
on Critical Infrastructure Protection. In 2000 she was a member of the FTC’s Advisory
Committee on Access and Security. Since 2001, Mary has been a member of the Government
Accountability Office’s Executive Committee on Information Management and Technology
(ECIMT). Business Week’s e-biz Web site profiled Mary as a “Mover & Shaker” in 1999
Mary’s primary research interest is governance of privacy and security; her paper on public
policy approaches to promoting accountability for privacy was one of six papers selected for
inclusion in FPF’s 2011 Privacy Papers for Policy Makers.. She has also conducted research
on how organizations can gain value from social media. Mary’s work has been published in a
range of academic journals as well as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall
Street Journal. She is the author of the 1999 Georgetown Internet Privacy Policy Survey, which
the Federal Trade Commission used to make recommendations to Congress, and the 2006
Bentley-Watchfire Survey of Online Privacy Practices in Higher Education. She also co-authored
FPF’s 2010 “icon” research report related to online behavioral advertising. Details about her
Mary was employed for seven years as a systems analyst by the Burroughs Corporation prior to
earning her Ph.D. in management from UCLA. Before joining the faculty at Bentley in fall 2000,
she held faculty positions at the University of Virginia, University of California, Berkeley, the
American University and Georgetown University.
Big Data for All
See FPF Senior Fellow Omer Tene’s concurring opinions post announcing the release of Big Data for All: Privacy and User Control in the Age of Analytics. The paper, co-authored by Tene and FPF Director Jules Polonetsky discusses the value of helping individuals play an active role in the data economy through the “featurization” or “app-ification” of data.
Mobile App Ecosystem Webinar – Sept. 13th at 4pm EST
The Future of Privacy Forum & World Privacy Forum’s briefing on the Mobile App Ecosystem will be held on September 13th at 4PM EST. This briefing is intended to further the NTIA-convened multistakeholder efforts to create a code of conduct for mobile application transparency. Details for the event can be found here.
A Brief Future of Privacy Forum Survey of Mobile Application Best Practices
Dr. Mary J. Culnan is Professor Emeritus at Bentley University. She also serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Center for IT and the Global Economy (CITGE) at the Kogod School of