New Survey on App Stores and Account Info Sharing – What This Means for COPPA
FPF is committed to helping the app marketplace comply with the FTC’s revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule. As explained in our public comments filed with the FTC, we think that one way to help companies and parents alike is to encourage collaboration. For example, by leveraging a common platform, “operators” under the […]
This Article Will Self Destruct in 5 Seconds
It is becoming increasingly difficult to escape our past in today’s digital world. Internet experts often warn us that once you post, there’s no going back. Many of us suffer from “social sharing regrets.” Just look at the memorable case of Stacy Snyder who was fired from her teaching position after posting a “Drunken Pirate” photo on […]
Safe Harbor: Time for a Fresh Look?
The fallout from the NSA revelations continue to make the national headlines. But the impact isn’t simply limited to the government’s use of data. Last week, the Chairman of the Article 29 Working Party wrote to the Vice-President of the European Commission to express “great concern” about PRISM and related intelligence programs, including how these […]
FTC Provides Limited “Safe Harbor” for Users of a “Do Not Track for Kids” Flag
The new Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule that went into effect earlier this month restricts almost all forms of tracking across child-directed sites other than for a set of limited “internal operations purposes.” Child-directed sites are now strictly liable for any third party tracking on their sites that do not meet COPPA’s limited […]
NTIA User Interface Mockups
“I am pleased to support the NTIA Short Form Notice Code of Conduct,” said Jules Polonetsky, Executive Director of the Future of Privacy Forum. “A ‘food label’ type approach to a privacy notice will give consumers a standardized way to get key privacy information at a glance and will help consumers better understand how apps […]
Getting COPPA Right with a New Directed at Children Signal
One of the most important provisions of the updated Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule that took effect yesterday is the extension of child privacy protection to behavioral advertising, the practice of tracking users across online sites and services to tailor advertising. The Future of Privacy Forum supported the Federal Trade Commission’s move to […]
Seeking Submissions for Privacy Papers for Policy Makers 2013
FPF is pleased to invite privacy scholars, professionals, and others with an interest in privacy issues to submit papers to be considered for inclusion in FPF’s annual edition of “Privacy Papers for Policy Makers.” The purpose of Privacy Papers for Policy Makers is to present policy makers with highlights of important research and analytical work […]
What's Scary About Big Data, and How to Confront It
Any discussion surrounding the benefits–and the risks–presented by Big Data often focuses on the far-off future. The world of Minority Report is frequently invoked, but in the wake of April’s “Big Data Week,” it is time to recognize that Big Data is already here. In their recent book, Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform […]
New Study Shows Need for De-identification Best Practices
Publically releasing sensitive information is risky. In 1997, Latanya Sweeney used full date of birth, 5 digit ZIP code, and gender to show that seemingly anonymous medical data could be linked to an actual person when she uncovered the health information of William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts. Sweeney in a new study analyzes […]
Domestic Drones Should Embrace Privacy by Design
Ironically, the vocal public concern about drones actually combats one of the biggest challenges to implementing …