Algorithmic transparency: Examining from within and without
As the volume of consumer data grows, an increasing number of decisions previously made by humans are now made by algorithms. Many thought leaders have called for algorithmic transparency to ensure that these decisions aren’t leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes, but algorithmic transparency is tricky to implement. Last December, FTC Commissioner Julie Brill acknowledged […]
Who Exactly IS a "School Official" Anyway?
School Officials and Ed Tech Vendors The School Official exception to FERPA, the federal student privacy law, allows schools to provide student data to principals, teachers and school employees to use for educational purposes. But what about contractors who may work for the school, like a bus company or an email service provider? The original […]
In-Store Location Tracking: A Holiday Guide
In these final remaining days before Christmas, last-minute holiday shopping is in full swing. The window for online delivery is closing, and more shoppers this week will be doing their holiday shopping the old-fashioned way—in the store.
Panelists Debated Materiality and Privacy Harms under the FTC’s Section 5
On November 5, the Future of Privacy Forum and Washington & Lee University School of Law co-hosted a panel on the Future of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Federal Trade Commission Act permits the agency to bring civil enforcement actions under Section 5 against companies who engage in “unfair or deceptive trade practices.” […]
CEA releases guiding privacy & security principles for wearable technologies
Yesterday, October 26th, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced voluntary guidelines for organizations that manage personal and health-related data, particularly as generated by consumer wearable technologies. This step illustrates CEA’s attempt to promote consumer trust in technology companies producing and supporting health trackers and other wearable technologies.
Student Privacy Pledge – Hits 150!
The Pledge represents industry’s public commitment to the responsible handling of student data and provides accountability for signatory school service providers. The result is a bolstering of the public trust …
Tackling Privacy, One Carnegie Mellon Project at a Time
Last Thursday, the Future of Privacy Forum hosted a conversation among five of CMU’s leading privacy researchers. While the panelists discussed a number of their leading privacy projects, I wanted to highlight some of the interesting takeaways I took from the presentation. Many of the researchers focused on how subtle nudges can be used to change people’s behaviors. […]
Android M and Privacy: Giving Users Control over App Permissions
Android M and Privacy: Giving Users Control over App Permissions Android M promises to deliver several new user-control features built to advance transparency, choice, and predictability. The new App Permissions system allows users to select permissions specific to each app and device feature. The granular system requires apps to request user permissions individually as the […]
Framing the "Big Data Industry"
For all its hype, discussions about Big Data often still devolve into debates about buzzwords and concepts like business intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning. Hidden in each of these terms are important privacy and ethical considerations. A recent article by Kirsten Martin in MIS Quarterly Executive attempts to bring these considerations to the surface by moving past framing […]
FPF Welcomes Senior Fellows Evan Selinger and Danielle Citron
LEADING PRIVACY SCHOLARS JOIN FUTURE OF PRIVACY FORUM AS SENIOR FELLOWS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR Professors Evan Selinger and Danielle Citron Bring Privacy and Ethics Expertise to Help Advance Responsible Data Practices WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, June 18, 2015 – Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) announced that two academic leaders have joined the ranks […]