The Future of Privacy Forum Announces New Publication: “Privacy Papers for Policy Makers: The Future of Privacy Forum Annual Review”
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) co-chairs announced a new competition-based project that is entitled: “Privacy Papers for Policy Makers.”This new publication is made possible in part by the generous support of LexisNexis, AT&T and others.
The goal of this endeavor is to highlight important research and analytical work on a variety of privacy topics, and to ensure that policymakers are informed of the most influential scholarship as they address privacy issues.Academics, privacy advocates and Chief Privacy Officers on FPF’S Advisory Board will review the papers that are submitted.A selection of papers deemed best suited and most useful for policy makers in Congress, the FTC, FCC and state leaders, will be summarized and a compilation will be bound and sent to policymakers in the US and abroad.
Papers that are submitted should clearly analyze current and emerging privacy issues, and either propose achievable short-term solutions or propose new means of analysis that could lead to solutions. Judging criteria will include clarity, practicality and overall utility.
Papers must be received by the Future of Privacy Forum by no later than July 15th, 2010.Entries may be submitted via email to [email protected] with the subject line “Privacy Papers Project” or sent by mail to Future of Privacy Forum, 919 18th Street, NW, Suite 925 Washington, DC 20006.Entries should include the author’s full name, phone number, current postal address, and email address. The entry can provide a link to a published paper or a draft paper that has a publication date.FPF will work with the authors of selected papers to develop a policymaker appropriate summary that respects any relevant copyright concerns.
Winners will be notified in late August and the selected papers will be formally announced at The George Washington University Law School at a breakfast in early September, where we plan to have a public conference to discuss some of the ideas presented in the winning submissions.
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. FPF was launched in November 2008.
More Data Use Icons on The Way
Yesterday, Firefox revealed that one of the new features that will appear in Firefox 4 will be an icon that displays when the browser passes a browser’s physical location to a Web site.
Firefox already has a feature that allows sites to ask users for permission to share location, which it derives by scanning local wireless access points. (A number of companies, such as Skyhook, drive the streets, logging the locations of access points they detect. Press coverage of Google’s logging of this data while driving and mapping streets kicked off privacy concerns recently in Germany). Your computer or cellphone can use this technique to supplement or in place of GPS capability. Firefox 4 will now display an icon in the browser address bar, to indicate to users that a website is accessing their geolocation data
Note that this is unrelated to the ability of Web sites to estimate a users location based on the IP address transmitted in browser requests.
We like this feature, as it is a good transparency and control measure. We have promoted the use of the behavioral symbol we developed, and have applauded the use of location symbols by the ATT-Apple iPhone and by Verizon. Too many competing icons? Maybe, but the path to standardization takes some time. Right now, getting privacy information out of privacy policies and treating the data use as a feature that users can understand is major progress. Companies competing to communicate well to users about data leads to real progress on transparency and control!
Privacy Frameworks and Personal Information
Privacy Frameworks and Personal Information
C-SPAN
May 7, 2010
Panelists talked about innovative uses of information to personalize users’ online experience, make product recommendations, provide services, and connect people with similar personal, business or community service interests. Other topics included the privacy considerations these uses create. 11:45 AM – 12:45 PM Panel 2: Privacy Frameworks and Innovative Uses of Personal Information Moderator: Andrew McLaughlin, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Internet Policy, OSTP Description: This panel will focus on innovative uses of information to personalize users’ online experience, make product recommendations, provide services, and connect people with similar personal, business or community service interests. Panelists will also discuss the privacy considerations these uses create. Panelists: Deborah Estrin, Professor, University of California – Opening Pam Dixon, Executive Director, World Privacy Forum Tim O’Shaughnessy, CEO, Living Social Ed Felten, Professor, Princeton University
Today, the Future of Privacy will be at the NTIA Dialogue on Privacy and Innovation. Jules Polonetsky will be participating on a panel regarding innovations in transparency and choice.
In order to recognize innovations in this area, the Future of Privacy Forum is launching its 2010 Gallery of Leading Practices. We have listed companies and practices that are leading the way in providing users with control and transparency of their personal information.
At the NTIA panel, Jules will be discussing recent online privacy advance as well as areas where progress is essential for both consumers and businesses.
Noteworthy innovations include:
• Limiting the retention of search queries and deleting data used for targeted advertising after a defined period
• Efforts at minimizing IP address details logged by web analytics
• Giving users control and transparency right from the advertisements themselves by featuring a behavioral ad icon and giving “clear notice” about the origins of targeted ads
• The creation of a mobile profile viewer that gives mobile device users control over what cookies are allowed to be stored on their device
• Stronger browser privacy controls
• Plug-ins that ensure opt-out status even after clearing cookies
• Labeling privacy policies in a common-sense fashion by directing users to see “how your information is being used”
• Indicators showing when one is being geolocated via a mobile device
Issues that still needing to be addressed include:
• The need for a workable definition of “sensitive information”
• The fact that a plug-in must still be downloaded and installed to ensure a stable opt-out status
• Increased data collection by applications
• The useability challenge of social network privacy controls
• Caution over creating the “illusion of control” that may lead to greater information sharing than warranted
Future of Privacy Forum Statement on Staff Discussion Draft of Boucher-Stearns Consumer Privacy Bill
Washington, DC — Today, the Co-Chairs of the Future of Privacy Forum, Christopher Wolf and Jules Polonetsky, released a joint statement on the release of the staff discussion draft of the Boucher-Stearns consumer privacy bill:
“We commend Rep. Boucher, Rep. Stearns, and their staff for a thoughtful and considerate examination of emerging online privacy issues. And we applaud the Congressmen for circulating a draft for all interested parties to constructively evaluate prior to any proposed legislation.
We were pleased to see the legislation include a focus on providing users with greater transparency and control about their online experience, which was a major focus of FPF’s recent icons project. We look forward to evaluating the draft in more depth in the coming months, and working with the Congressmen and their staff to further hone it so that it can support the goal of advancing responsible data practices.”
In addition to the statement above, FPF recently released a diagram to illustrate the complicated data flow in the online ecosystem. To see the chart click here.
Before You Even Click….
Privacy Commissioners Raise Good Points in Their Letter to Google
Last week, the Privacy Commissioners of Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom sent a letter to Google revisiting the privacy issues raised by Google’s introduction earlier this year of Google Buzz. Readers will recall that when Buzz was rolled out, Google automatically assigned Gmail users a network of “followers” from among users’ most frequent Gmail correspondents. This was done without adequately informing Gmail users about how this new service would work, and without providing sufficient information that would allow informed decisions. As stated in the Privacy Commissioners’ letter: “This violated the fundamental principle that individuals should be able to control the use of their personal information.”
The Commissioners’ April 19, 2010 letter was eclipsed in the news by the Icelandic Volcano that caused the absence of the some of the Privacy Commissioner signatories at the Washington, DC Press Conference to discuss the letter and by the simultaneous release by Google of a report on government requests for personal information.
While the letter did not make the front page of newspapers, and while the buzz over the privacy missteps by Google in introducing Buzz may be old news — Google accepted responsibility when it happened, saying it was sorry, and revised the privacy settings — the fundamental issues raised by the Privacy Commissioners in their recent letter deserve further attention. In writing to Google, the Commissioners said:
We therefor call on you, like all organisations entrusted with people’s personal information, to incorporate fundamental privacy principles directly into the design of new online services. That means, at a minimum:
• collecting and processing only the minimum amount of personal information necessary to achieve the identified purpose of the product or service;
• providing clear and unambiguous information about how personal information will be used to allow users to provide informed consent;
• creating privacy-protective default settings;
• ensuring that privacy control settings are prominent and easy to use;
• ensuring that all personal data is adequately protected, and
• giving people simple procedures for deleting their accounts and honouring their requests in a timely way.
The Dutch Commissioner observed that the Google letter could be the “last warning” to Google and other online companies with respect to the privacy principles the letter advanced. So, a discussion of data minimization, transparency, default privacy-protective settings, prominent controls, data security and prompt account deletion clearly is in order for companies launching new online services or proposing to change existing services. Just saying “sorry” after a misstep, as Google did with Buzz, will no longer satisfy privacy watchdogs, that seems clear.
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada: Understanding Online Tracking, Profiling & Targeting
The first Online Tracking, Profiling and Targeting event will take place on April 29, 2010 at the One King West Hotel in Toronto. Information is available in the Consultation Notice.
Audience seating is now very limited for this event – please contact us if you still wish to attend.
8:30 – 9:30 am Opening Remarks
Ms. Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Mr. Brian Beamish, Assistant Commissioner for Access, OIPC Ontario
Ms. Elizabeth Denham, Assistant Privacy Commissioner of Canada
9:30 – 10:00 am International Context for these Consultations
Mr. David C. Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, US Federal Trade Commission
10:30 – 11:45 am Panel 1: Advertising
Dr. Avner Levin, Director of the Privacy and Cyber Crime Institute, Ryerson University
Ms. Anne Toth, Chief Privacy Officer, Yahoo
Mr. Jules Polonetsky, Director, Future of Privacy Forum
Ms. Paula Gignac, President, Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada
Dr. Teresa Scassa, Canada Research Chair in Information Law, University of Ottawa
Mr. Jesse Hirsh, Broadcaster
Mr. Keith McIntosh, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association
Mr. Ross Buchanan, Director of Digital and Relationship Marketing, Molson Coors Canada
Mr. Prashant Shukle, Director General of the Mapping Information Branch, Natural Resources Canada
3:00 – 4:15 pm Panel 3: Children’s Privacy in the Evolving Online Environment
Ms. Sara Grimes, PhD Candidate with the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University
Mr. Matthew Johnson, Media Education Specialist, Media Awareness Network
Ms. Catherine Connors, parenting blogger and author of www.HerBadMother.com
Dr. Jacquelyn Burkell, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario
2010 NSF Information, Integration and Informatics Workshop
The growth in scale, diversity and complexity of data has increased the demand for understanding large amount of heterogeneous data. The Information Integration and Informatics (III) program focuses on the processes and technologies involved in creating, managing, visualizing, and understanding this heterogeneous data. Given the III focus, the workshop goals include:
Analyzing and focusing on the research and development issues of problems that are fundamental in making progress toward understanding complex data;
Specifying current and new areas where major breakthroughs appear possible;
Identifying needed collaborations (e.g., inter-disciplinary, academic-industry); and
Identifying research initiatives and facilities needed to meet current and future challenges.
In addition, conference participants will share accomplishments, provide demonstrations and interact with each other. They will also discuss the objectives, contributions and challenges of major research activities funded by the Information, Integration and Informatics program. Finally, the workshop will provide participants an opportunity to explore fruitful collaboration and synergism.
