GW Law School and Washington-based think tank the Future of Privacy Forum announced a partnership to advance programs focused on the future of privacy law and policy.
Christopher Wolf quoted:
“FPF and GW Law have come together to create something quite new: a formal partnership to examine the privacy challenges presented by new technology,” FPF Co-Chair Christopher Wolf says. “By bringing together some of the best-thinking people from academia, the private sector, and government, we can ensure critical examination of the social, legal, and policy implications of the digital age.”
Jules Polonetsky quoted:
“FPF is focused on advancing responsible data practices in both the United States and abroad,” Mr. Polonetsky says. “This partnership will bring a greater visibility and more thorough discussion of the legal intricacies involved in privacy-related public policies.”
Another Step Forward for Transparency…
One more step forward for transparency in the behavioral advertising world, as today Lotame Solutions launches its new preference manager. Web surfers can see the categories in their profile used for ad targeting, add or delete some of them, or opt-out. Lotame follows in the steps of DoubleClick, Yahoo, and BlueKai in taking one of the key steps that will help give consumers a greater comfort level with behavioral advertising. Check it out!
Jan. 26, 2010 – A Little ‘i’ to Teach About Online Privacy, NY Times
Microsoft to delete full Search IP addresses after 6 months
The news is just in that Microsoft is announcing that it will delete full IP addresses from their Bing search engine log files after 6 months. In July 2009, when Microsoft and YAHOO announced their search partnership, we predicted that real competition in the search arena between Google and Microsoft could lead to privacy benefits for consumers. Today, we are pleased to see Microsoft stepping up to the plate to delete one of the most sensitive and potentially identifiable elements in search log-files.
There is really no need to keep IP addresses long term to improve search results, when the primary geographic data can be immediately derived for use in search query analysis. At the same time, an IP address can be used by governments or legal adversaries as a key to a user’s identity. Search engines do need to keep IP addresses for a limited time to help with security and anti-fraud measures.
Here is a Microsoft chart showing the new Bing search data retention periods:
Yahoo’s current policy is to delete IP addresses at 3 months, with a small subset kept for 6 months for security uses. Google partially deletes IP addresses at 9 months by lopping off the last octect of the address.
Today’s announcement doesn’t affect practices around other cross-session identifiers, such as the hashed cookies maintained in search log files, so there is still work to be done in this area by Microsoft and Google. But although a cookie enables potential research that can assemble enough data about some random selection of users who have provided enough clues due to their queries, it is the more sensitive IP address that is the key to being able to force the identification of any individual users. Kudos to Microsoft for this important search privacy advance.
Supporters
Folks really need to get the message about flash cookies
Web users are not yet deleting Flash cookies as often as they shed more traditional cookies, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to use Flash technology to track consumers online. That’s according to a new report commissioned by media audit company BPA Worldwide.
The report, authored by analytics expert Eric Peterson, warns that the use of Flash cookies, also called “local shared objects,” to override consumers’ choices could invite new privacy laws. “With the attention given to consumer privacy on the Internet at both individual and governmental levels, we believe that companies making inappropriate or irresponsible use of the Flash technology are very likely asking for trouble, (and potentially putting the rest of the online industry at risk of additional government regulation),” writes Peterson, CEO and principal consultant at Web Analytics Demystified…..
Jules Polonetsky quoted: “…Says he supports Peterson’s recommendations, but would go one step further. He says that companies also should refrain from using Flash cookies for tracking, given that most consumers don’t know about the technology. “To use a mechanism that most users are unaware of to track them is extremely poor privacy behavior,” Polonetsky says.”
Comments to the FCC on Open Internet and Broadband
This afternoon we filed comments to the FCC which address their October 22nd 2009 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) focused on “Preserving the Open Internet and Broadband Industry Practices.” The FCC’s request for comments are an important opportunity for us to highlight the fact that Broadband access and use implicates numerous privacy and data security issues. Thus far, much of the conversation surrounding broadband Internet access, has focused on ensuring that service providers do not interfere with user privacy rights, which is an important goal. However, equally important is the goal that the Commission should ensure that any new rules it adopts do not impair broadband Internet access service providers’ ability to protect consumer privacy online. As we state in our comments, “The collection, use, sharing, security, and disposal of personal information occurs at many places on the Internet and often involves numerous parties in the broadband ecosystem. These activities create risks to consumers such as identity theft, and they raise concerns about the unwanted distribution of personal information to unintended recipients. … Consumers only will expand their adoption and usage of broadband services and technologies if they can be confident that there are adequate privacy and data security protections available. Thus, ensuring that broadband Internet access service providers can deploy innovative tools to protect consumers’ personal information and respond to evolving security risks is a critical element in promoting an open Internet and facilitating broadband use.”
Authored by: Jules Polonetsky and Christopher Wolf
Social Networking: Your Key to Easy Credit
Social Networking: Your Key to Easy Credit?
CNBC.com
By Erica Sandberg
January 13, 2010
You probably don’t analyze the chatter or quality of your social media connections, but creditors may be doing just that. In their quest to identify creditworthy customers, some are tapping into the information you and your friends reveal in the virtual stratosphere. Before calling the privacy police, though, understand how it’s really being used.
According to Nielsen Online, 67 percent of the global online population uses Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or a similar social media network to stay in touch with friends, grow their business or just have fun. If you’re among them and your settings are turned to “public,” who you’re talking to and what you’re discussing is available to those wanting to sell their wares — and that includes banks and other credit issuers.
Jules Polonetsky quoted: “It’s shocking to users. It goes beyond the kind of data use that people feel comfortable with.” More, he says, this application of behavioral marketing risks driving legislative action. “The general use of data is the subject of hot debate in Washington. The Federal Trade Commission is examining its view of behavioral data, trying to get to the appropriate rules. The entire future of behavioral marketing use is up in the air and this could upset the apple cart.”
Featuring a variety of experts, including Jules Polonetsky of FPF and Brendon Lynch from Microsoft for a discussion about empowering consumers to take control of their online reputations.
