The Future of Mobility in a Connected World: FPF’s Lauren Smith on Connected Cars, Data, and more
FPF is celebrating our tenth anniversary. In recognition of this milestone, FPF policy experts will be sharing their thoughts on FPF’s progress and the work ahead in a series of blogs over the coming weeks. Our 10th anniversary celebration will be on April 30. RSVP here.
This week, Policy Counsel Lauren Smith discusses connected cars and the future of mobility.
FPF Policy Counsel Lauren Smith didn’t see herself as a “car person” when she joined FPF in 2016. Three years later, she leads FPF’s Data and Mobility Working Group and regularly shares her expertise on the subject in speaking engagements, media interviews, and with state and federal regulators, among other stakeholders. She recently answered some questions on the state of connected cars, FPF’s work in the space, and the future of mobility.
So, what drew you to work on data and mobility at FPF? How did it differ from your prior work?
I had been advising on tech policy, privacy, and big data at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where I contributed to a report on Big Data and Privacy. Those efforts raised several important questions around privacy and data access, the emergence of new technologies, and the social and ethical impact of these advancements. When I got to FPF, I was fascinated to see how rapidly the auto industry was changing, but I also noticed that it faced many of the same issues as the other “Internet of Things” technologies I was familiar with in my previous work. The maxim at most of the conferences I attend now is that we will see more change in the transportation industry over the next five years than we’ve seen in the past 50. Much of this transition is driven by technological advances and opportunities presented by data, and it has been fascinating to get to know an industry during such a unique period.
What sort of work has FPF done on connected cars over the past 10 years? What challenges have arisen during that time?
Data collection in cars isn’t new; for instance, there have been computer systems in most cars since at least the 1990s. The biggest change has been an explosion in the variety, volume, and connectivity of the data collected. As Americans, we tend to associate cars with personal autonomy, but we need to start thinking about cars like we think about our smart phones, rather than as mechanical chassis that get us from point A to point B.
A few years ago, the auto industry anticipated these changes, and nearly every automaker committed to a set of privacy principles for auto data that enable the benefits of these new technologies while establishing baseline privacy protections for consumers. FPF contributed to the effort to establish these principles and has proceeded to be one of the only groups deeply focused on this space. Our work has included creating a Consumer Guide to the Connected Car that auto dealers can hand to consumers; leading efforts to map the vehicle data ecosystem through projects like Data and the Connected Car 1.0; filing comments in federal, state, and local regulatory efforts; hosting convenings for thought leaders in this space throughout the U.S. and Israel; and continuous media and public speaking efforts to better educate consumers, regulators, and lawmakers alike on new developments. My TEDx talk was a fun highlight that allowed us to reach new audiences. It has been a pleasure learning from and working with our Data and Mobility Working Group members, which includes representatives from auto manufacturers, ridesharing companies, mapping, telecommunications firms, mobility startups, and more.
What are some current hot topics in mobility and connected cars?
Right now, we’re seeing a rapidly changing industry encounter a series of new scenarios. First, the mobility ecosystem includes so much more than connected cars. Scooters and shared bikes have grown immensely popular over the past few years, and they produce data that is increasingly of interest to state and local regulators. Mobility data has the potential to make our city transportation infrastructure and planning far more efficient, but any such efforts need to be thorough in creating credible privacy regimes around the data they collect.
Next, we’re seeing a growing number of sophisticated technologies, but we still haven’t answered some basic questions around mobility data, such as who can access it, who manages the consumer relationship in a vehicle, which of this data is “personal,” and how to efficiently wipe basic personal data when vehicles are transferred between users. At the same time, we’re seeing regulators who care about privacy trying to ascertain how to regulate such a new space without limiting the opportunities that these technologies can bring. As the industry navigates its compliance with new privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, I’m hoping we will see new tools and have the needed conversations to ensure we build a trusted mobility data ecosystem.
As these conversations evolve, cars are gaining powerful on-board processing systems and advanced sensor technologies, with a growing ability to protect safety, monitor happenings inside the car, and gather information on driving habits and consumer preferences. We emphasize the word “ecosystem” because there are a growing number of entities involved. The impact of these technologies will extend far beyond just automakers, impacting the insurance industry, mapping companies, telecommunications providers, public transit, city planners, and more. As driver assistance and autonomous features enable serious safety benefits across our roads, we think it’s our job to ensure we can build a privacy-protective ecosystem that supports them and that earns consumer trust.
What about the next 10 years? What technological advancements and privacy challenges can we expect to emerge in this space?
It’s so exciting to look out on this space 10 years out. I get asked these questions a lot: Will there be flying cars? Will my 3-year-old ever need a driver’s license? The only constant is change right now, and it’s raising a lot of really interesting questions.
By some estimates, the global revenue pool from connected car data is expected to hit $750 billion by 2030. The companies using and generating this data will face many of the same questions around privacy and advertising and data sharing and access that we’ve tackled in other FPF verticals. The good news is that we aim to help the mobility industry learn from other sectors that have already tackled similar issues surrounding data privacy management and regulatory infrastructure. For example, our mobility work has often merged with our location work recently, and I expect that to continue as we face questions around sensitivity of the geolocation that is fundamental to mobility technologies.
I would expect to see major developments not just in advanced driving assistance systems and autonomous vehicles, but also vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. More advanced sensor technology using lidar, hi-definition mapping, radar and video sensors paired with higher processing powers and advanced connectivity options will enable the collection and transmission of significant datasets that will need to be privacy protected to ensure consumer trust in the technology. Vehicles will be more connected to each other and to the larger transportation grid as a result. Vehicles may be managed by fleets rather than individual owners. These advancements and more will save lives and make transportation more efficient, but will also pose challenges for regulators, policymakers, and consumers.
I can’t wait to see how this space changes going forward—there is rarely a dull moment and it’s a pleasure to navigate these exciting questions.
What do you expect the next 10 years of connected cars and privacy to look like? We’d love to hear from you on this subject or any other thoughts you have on privacy:[ninja_form id=8]
Advisory Board Reviewers: PPPM 2018
Each year, FPF awards the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award to the authors of leading privacy research and analytical work that is relevant to policymakers in the United States Congress, at U.S. federal agencies, and for data protection authorities abroad. The Award showcases work that analyzes current and emerging privacy issues and proposes achievable solutions or new means of analysis that could lead to real-world policy impact.
PPPM submissions receive an initial ranking from our Advisory Board Reviewers — a diverse team of academics, consumer advocates, and industry privacy professionals.
Winning Authors are invited to join FPF in Washington, DC to discuss their work at the United States Senate with policymakers, academics, and privacy professionals. This year, Privacy Papers for Policymakers will be held at 5:30 PM on February 6, 2019 in Room SR-325 (Kennedy Caucus Room), Russell Senate Office Building. For more information and to register, click here.
FPF would like to extend a special Thank You to our 2018 Advisory Board Reviewers, including:
Eduard Bartholme, Call For Action
Monica Bulger, Future of Privacy Forum
Maureen Cooney, Sprint
Philip Fabinger, HERE Technologies
Jonathan Fox, Cisco
Dona Fraser, The Children’s Advertising Review Unit
Claire Gartland, Facebook
Lauren Gelman, BlurryEdge Strategies
Scott Goss, Qualcomm
John Grant, Palantir
Rita Heimes, International Association of Privacy Professionals
Joseph Jerome, Center For Democracy & Technology
Barbara Lawler, Looker Data Services
Knut Mager, Novartis
Magnolia Mobley, LegalMatters, LLC
Lisa Martinelli, Highmark Health
Estelle Masse, Access Now
Drew Mitnick, Access Now
Robyn Mohr, Loeb & Loeb, LLP
Vivek Narayanadas, Shopify
Kara Selke, StreetLight Data
Amie Stepanovich, Access Now
Thomas van der Valk, Facebook
Heather West, Mozilla
Thank you for all your hard work!
Spotlight on PPPM Finalist Judges (2018)
On December 17th, the Future of Privacy Forum announced the winners of the 2018 Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award. Each year, FPF awards the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award to the authors of leading privacy research and analytical work that is relevant to policymakers in the United States Congress, at U.S. federal agencies, and for data protection authorities abroad.
The goal of the Award is to advance academic-industry collaboration by showcasing work that analyzes current and emerging privacy issues and proposes achievable solutions or new means of analysis that could lead to real-world policy impact.
How are PPPM papers chosen?
Papers are identified via our annual Call for Nominations, as well as from leading privacy research centers and submissions to the Privacy Law Scholars Conference (with authors’ permission).
Submissions receive an initial ranking from a diverse team of academics, consumer advocates, and industry privacy professionals from the FPF Advisory Board, with each submission being evaluated in the categories of: (1) Originality; (2) Applicability to policymaking; and (3) Overall quality of writing.
Finally, winners are selected by a panel of Finalist Judges who select the scholarship they feel should receive the Privacy Papers for Policymakers Award. Winning scholarship represents the “must-read” privacy papers of the year for policymakers. Leading Authors are invited to join FPF in Washington, DC to discuss their work at the United States Senate with policymakers, academics, and privacy professionals.
This year, Privacy Papers for Policymakers will be held at 5:30 PM on February 06, 2018 in Room SR-325 (Kennedy Caucus Room), Russell Senate Office Building. For more information and to register, click here.
Finalist Judges:
Our Finalist Judges for 2018 include representatives from FPF, as well as one representative from Academia, one from Consumer Advocacy, and one from Industry.
Judges include Jules Polonetsky, CEO, Future of Privacy Forum; Christopher Wolf, Founder and Board Chair, Future of Privacy Forum; Mary Culnan, Professor Emeritus, Bentley University, and Board Vice President, Future of Privacy Forum;John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National Consumers League; and Mark MacCarthy, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Software & Information Industry Association.
More on our PPPM Judges:
Jules Polonetsky
CEO, Future of Privacy Forum
Jules serves as CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum. Jules’ previous roles have included serving as Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and before that at DoubleClick, as Consumer Affairs Commissioner for New York City, as an elected New York State Legislator and as a congressional staffer, and as an attorney. Jules serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Copyright Information. He has served on the boards of a number of privacy and consumer protection organizations including TRUSTe, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and the Network Advertising Initiative. From 2011-2012, Jules served on the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee. In 2001, Crain’s NY Business magazine named Jules one of the top technology leaders in New York City. Jules is a regular speaker at privacy and technology events and has testified or presented before Congressional committees and the Federal Trade Commission.
Mary Culnan
Professor Emeritus, Bentley University
Vice President, Future of Privacy Forum Board of Directors
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. Mary’s primary research interest is governance of privacy and security. 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. 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.
Christopher Wolf
Founder and Board Chair, Future of Privacy Forum
Christopher Wolf is the founder and Board Chair of the Future of Privacy Forum. Chris is also a senior partner in the Washington, DC office of Hogan Lovells LLP, where he is a leader of that firm’s Privacy and Information Management practice. He has been in private law practice in Washington, DC since 1982. Chris has served as an adjunct law professor on Internet and privacy law, and is a frequent lecturer in continuing legal education programs on the subject.
MSNBC called Chris Wolf a “pioneer in Internet law”, reflecting his involvement in some of the earliest and precedent setting cases involving technology agreements, copyright, domain names, jurisdiction — and privacy. As the ability to collect, store, share and transfer personal information over the Internet increased, privacy became the main focus of Chris’ law practice. And Chris became known as a pioneer in privacy law too. It was for that reason that the prestigious Practising Law Institute (PLI) tapped Chris to be Editor and Lead Author of its first-ever treatise on privacy law. He also is co-editor of the PLI book, “A Practical Guide to the Red Flag Rules”, the identity theft prevention regulations issued by the FTC and financial regulators.
John Breyault
Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud, National Consumers League
John joined the National Consumers League — America’s oldest consumer organization — in September 2008. His focus at NCL is advocating for stronger consumer and worker protections before Congress and federal agencies on a range of issues including telecommunications and technology policy, fraud, and consumer financial protections. In addition, John directs NCL’s Fraud Center an online hub for consumer education and advocacy related to fraud.
Prior to coming to NCL, John was Research Director at the Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), a non-profit consumer organization dedicated to promoting the interests of telecommunications consumers. Concurrent with his work at TRAC, John was Director of Research at Amplify Public Affairs (APA) where he helped launch the firm’s Web 2.0-based public affairs practice.
Prior to joining APA, John worked at Sprint in its International Carrier Services Division, at BellSouth in its Government Affairs office and at the American Center for Polish Culture. John has served on numerous Boards and advisory committees including the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Technology Advisory Committee and the Board of the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless.
Mark MacCarthy
Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Software & Information Industry Association
Mark MacCarthy is an adjunct faculty member in the Communication, Culture & Technology Program at Georgetown University. He teaches courses and conducts research in information privacy, AI and the future of work, global Internet freedom, algorithmic fairness and the development of electronic media. He also teaches courses in philosophy & privacy and philosophy & free speech and AI and Ethics in the Philosophy Department. He is an Affiliate of the Center for Business and Public Policy at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. He is also Senior Vice President for Public Policy at the Software & Information Industry Association, where he advises member companies and directs public policy initiatives in technology policy, information privacy, trade, Internet governance, intellectual property and educational technology. He has been a consultant on technology policy issues for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and for the Aspen Institute. His previous public policy experience includes senior positions with Visa, Inc., the Wexler|Walker Group, Capital Cities/ABC and the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds a Ph.D in philosophy from Indiana University and an MA in economics from the University of Notre Dame.
Thank you to our 2018 PPPM Finalist Judges!
GDPR: A Year On – IEEE calls for articles
Do you have an interesting perspective on Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation or insightful information about GDPR to share? IEEE Security and Privacy seeks articles from scholars and practitioners from various disciplines and countries to examine GDPR: A Year On. Successful submissions will address (among other topics) the GDPR’s:
• position at the intersection of law and technology;
• global impact;
• implications for global multinationals and for small and medium size enterprises;
• implementation by engineers, economists, and lawyers;
• potential macroeconomic and competitive impact; and
• effect on debates about ethics beyond the law.
Submissions are due by March 1, 2019, with publication in November/December, 2019. Articles should be understandable to a broad audience of people interested in security and privacy, and run between 4,900 to 7,200 words. IEEE’s website has more information about submission requirements, or you can email the guest editors at [email protected].
Guest editors for the special issue are:
• Omer Tene, IAPP and FPF (lead editor)
• Katrine Evans, Hayman Lawyers
• Bruno Gencarelli, European Commission
• Gabe Maldoff, Bird & Bird
• Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, FPF
FPF at 10: Envisioning the Future of Privacy
This year, Future of Privacy Forum is celebrating our tenth anniversary as a catalyst for privacy leadership and scholarship. In recognition of this milestone, we will host an anniversary celebration on April 30 and release a report on rising privacy issues. We also are publishing a series of blog posts over the next several weeks in which our policy experts will share their thoughts on FPF’s work over the past decade, the current privacy landscape, and their vision for the future of privacy.
Read the first post below with Jules Polonetsky’s Q&A and sign up for our mailing list to receive updates when new posts are published.
Q&A: Jules Polonetsky on the Future of Privacy
Jules Polonetsky has been CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum since its founding 10 years ago. He is uniquely suited to bring together privacy experts from industry, consumer advocacy and government. Before he joined FPF, Jules was the Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and DoubleClick, New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner, a New York state legislator, a congressional staffer and an attorney.
As we observe its 10th Anniversary, how would you describe the idea behind the Future of Privacy Forum?
Our goal at the Future of Privacy Forum is to provide a roadmap on how our world can experience the benefits of data in a way that is ethical, moral, and that maintains our individual senses of self and autonomy.
There are so many areas where data holds opportunity to improve our health, safety, and happiness, but every one of those opportunities also is a source of great risks. We may come up with new medical advances by studying electronic health records but we need to do that in a manner that respects individual privacy. We want a world that is safer from things like terrorism but we don’t want government monitoring every email and phone call. We believe we can integrate privacy protections with responsible data use that will improve our lives.
So we convene experts from businesses, government, academia and civil society to get the best thinking and promote insightful research. We’ve also spurred industry to take actions with real-world impacts to protect consumer privacy. For example, the 300 companies that have taken the Student Privacy Pledge submit to legally enforceable obligations, such as not to sell students’ personal information. Likewise, companies that support FPF’s Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services agree to a set of standards for the collection and use of genetic data, like not sharing individual genetic data without express permission.
And we’re not just influencing industry practices. Our Open Data Risk Assessment used in Seattle and other cities helps government officials navigate the complex policy, technical, organizational and ethical standards that support privacy-protective open data programs.
How do you balance enthusiasm about innovative technology with an awareness that there can be pitfalls?
As a think tank director working with companies and advocates and government and foundations, I’m excited about the latest breakthroughs in technology. I’m also aware of the incredible consequences if we don’t put the right policies and structures and laws in place to make sure society benefits in a way that lifts us all up and takes us in a positive direction.
At FPF, we try to be at the center of the world of privacy. We work with companies to make sure when they use data, they are doing it in a responsible way. We also work with academics and civil society folks who worry that the government or companies could take us down an Orwellian path.
What are you looking for in potential privacy legislation from this Congress?
The White House, Congress, industry and civil society are increasingly in agreement about the need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation, so I hope a productive bill can be passed and signed into law. There are a few things I’ll be looking for in new legislation.
First, the rules should be technology neutral and cover every type of company and business model. Data is collected across platforms — on the web, on mobile, with wearables, smart home devices, and phone and facial tracking — and one clear set of rules is easiest for consumers to understand.
Legislation should recognize that data flows internationally, and move us closer to interoperability with Europe and other countries, while preserving room for new ideas and entrepreneurship.
Another foundational principle is fairness, which means using data only as people would reasonably expect and not using it in ways that have unjustified adverse effects. This concept is very similar to how the current FTC Act authorizes legal action against deceptive or unfair practices.
Also, any legislation should consider the increasingly sophisticated privacy tools that are emerging, including differential privacy to measure privacy risk, homomorphic encryption that can enable privacy safe data analysis, and many new privacy compliance tools that are helping companies better manage data. A law that will stand the test of time and successfully protect privacy rights while enabling valuable uses of data should include mechanisms to incentivize new privacy-friendly technology.
What is a cutting-edge privacy issue that you think will grow in importance over the next ten years?
The world of artificial intelligence and machine learning is fascinating and important. We’re just beginning to scratch the surface of the opportunities, but we’re also starting to understand what a dangerous and dark path the misuses of those types of data could lead to. There is a risk of being overly optimistic and not understanding that we could take ourselves to a place of no return.
I hope that in ten years – when FPF celebrates its 20th anniversary – we won’t be fixing ineffective rules and laws from this era. For example, the GDPR, if interpreted narrowly, could pose some challenges for AI and machine learning, since it specifies that personal data must be collected only for a specified purpose, and must be deleted or minimized when not needed for that purpose. For many machine learning processes today, large and representative data sets are required to power new models, to ensure accuracy and to avoid bias. As European regulators seek to advance trusted AI, ensuring the right balance here will be essential.
And as Congress considers a U.S. privacy framework, we will be advising policymakers on the ways that uses of data for machine learning and other innovations can be supported, when responsible safeguards are in place.
I’m looking forward to seeing the work of FPF’s AI and Machine Learning Working Group – and all of our program areas – evolve in the coming years!
Check back in coming weeks for more discussions with FPF policy experts and sign up for our mailing list to stay informed about important privacy issues.
FPF, EFPIA, and CIPL Workshop Report Now Available: "Can GDPR Work for Health Scientific Research?"
On October 22, 2018, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and the Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL) hosted a workshop in Brussels, “Can GDPR Work for Health Scientific Research?,” to discuss the processing of personal data for health scientific research purposes under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The use of health data in research, whether it arises in the course of hospital treatment or from personal management of care, has the potential to improve the lives of individuals, as well as transform health care systems and health-related science and innovation. Yet, at this moment, researchers and private and public stakeholders generally are facing difficulty in understanding how to comply with GDPR when processing personal data for health scientific research. Further, National Data Protection Authorities (DPAs), Health Authorities, and Ethical Committees are providing differing guidance on what should be the basis for processing special categories of personal data in scientific research, and the divergences are, if anything, widening.
The workshop highlighted multiple issues at the center of this challenge including:
The role of consent, legitimate interest, and other legal bases in the processing of health data for clinical trials and in the secondary use of health data for health scientific research purposes;
The relationship between the Clinical Trials Regulation and the GDPR in regards to personal data processing for clinical trials;
The lack of clarity surrounding institutional responsibility and the role of ethical committees; and
The wider issues of how we ensure that emerging data driven technologies like real-world evidence and artificial intelligence can be leveraged in compliance with GDPR to advance innovation and improvements in care.
Legal and regulatory harmonization of approaches to health data research will be critical to the advancement of digital health to improve care and health outcomes. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) will play a key role in working with the privacy and public research sectors to ensure harmonized application of the GDPR and legal certainty, as well as to clarify the situation and reconcile the needs of research while maintaining the rights of individuals to exercise choice and understand how their data is being used.
FPF to Co-Host Student Privacy Bootcamp with Student Data Privacy Consortium (1/28)
FPF will be hosting a Student Privacy Bootcamp with the Student Data Privacy Consortium on January 28th at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando. The free interactive event will provide concrete guidance and practical data privacy suggestions that can be implemented as soon as participants return to their districts. Slots are limited, so register now!
When: Monday, January 28th from 8:30am-3:00pm
Where: FETC Conference, Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819
There has been no shortage of laws and policies in recent years attempting to address student privacy concerns. These reflect a growing recognition that student privacy must be addressed seriously. For school districts, implementing good privacy practices and complying with laws can be daunting.
FPF Director of Education Privacy and Policy Counsel Amelia Vance will be co-leading sessions on federal laws (FERPA, COPPA, and PPRA), state laws and trends, and resources for administrators. There will also be a session on privacy best practices from other districts and hands-on exercises for participants.
The bootcamp will equip participants with the tools they need to implement responsible privacy practices, no matter the size of their district.
Other speakers include Steve Smith, Founder of the Student Data Privacy Consortium and Chief Information Officer of Cambridge Public Schools, Michael Hawes, Director of Student Privacy at the U.S. Department of Education, and more.
For a complete agenda and registration, click here.
Please reach out to Tyler Park ([email protected]) with any questions.
We hope to see you there!
Digital Data Flows Masterclass: Emerging Technologies
Digital Data Flows Masterclass is a year-long educational program designed for regulators, policymakers, and staff seeking to better understand the data-driven technologies at the forefront of data protection law & policy. The program will feature experts on machine learning, biometrics, connected cars, facial recognition, online advertising, encryption, and other emerging technologies.
The year-long program includes eight planned sessions in 2018-19 (view as PDF):
John Verdi Featured in WTOP Story About Connected Consumer Tech
Vice President of Policy John Verdi was featured in a WTOP story about the privacy implications of popular consumer tech holiday gifts. He offered advice on adjusting the privacy settings of smartphones, tablets, connected toys, and other devices. Read more at WTOP.
FPF joins 14 other organizations to urge ED and the FTC to provide guidance on the intersection of COPPA and FERPA
In December 2017, the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission hosted the workshop, “Student Privacy and Ed Tech.” The workshop brought together a wide range of stakeholders interested in protecting student privacy, with speakers representing districts, companies, and advocates. Almost all participants agreed that more clarity is necessary on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements. However, more than a year later, ED and the FTC have not yet provided that guidance.
This week, the Future of Privacy Forum joined 14 other organizations – groups representing education, business, and consumer advocates – to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Education and Federal Trade Commission urging them to provide additional guidance on the intersection of COPPA and FERPA.
FPF Policy Counsel Lauren Smith didn’t see herself as a “car person” when she joined FPF in 2016. Three years later, she leads FPF’s Data and Mobility Working Group and regularly shares her expertise on the subject in speaking engagements, media interviews, and with state and federal regulators, among other stakeholders. She recently answered some questions on the state of connected cars, FPF’s work in the space, and the future of mobility.
Jules Polonetsky has been CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum since its founding 10 years ago. He is uniquely suited to bring together privacy experts from industry, consumer advocacy and government. Before he joined FPF, Jules was the Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and DoubleClick, New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner, a New York state legislator, a congressional staffer and an attorney.
