
Privacy Scholarship Research Reporter: Issue 1, May 2017 – Algorithms: Privacy Risk and Accountability
Notes from FPF Through academic, policy, and industry circles, making progress on the cluster of issues related to algorithmic accountability has become a leading priority. The inaugural issue of the Future of Privacy Forum’s Privacy Scholarship Reporter provides a clear and compelling look into some of the most worrisome problems and promising solutions. Although not […]

Privacy Scholarship Reporter – Issue 1
Algorithms: Privacy Risk and Accountability by FPF Staff Through academic, policy, and industry circles, making progress on the cluster of issues related to algorithmic accountability has become a leading priority. The inaugural issue of the Future of Privacy Forum’s Privacy Scholarship Reporter provides a clear and compelling look into some of the most worrisome problems […]

W&L Law Review Publishes First-ever Disclosure of Facebook Internal Review Process
The Facebook study was the product of a symposium sponsored by W&L Law and theFuture of Privacy Forum (FPF), a DC-based think tank that promotes responsible data privacy policies. The topic of the symposium, as the Facebook paper suggests, was ethical review processes for big data research, with an emphasis on the ethical challenges of internal corporate research by companies that are able to harvest massive amounts of digital data. The event was also supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services
The Future of Privacy Forum filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the FCC’s proposed rules regarding the privacy and data practices of Internet Services Providers (ISPs). The FCC’s March 31, 2016 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM or Notice) seeks to regulate ISP’s data practices pursuant to Section 222 of the Communications Act – a sector-specific statute that includes detailed requirements that apply to telecommunications services, but does not apply to other services offered by broadband providers nor to online services operating at the edge of the network (e.g. web sites).

Enhancing Usability for Online Privacy Controls
Today, Google announced new features that provide users with additional customized options and controls over personal data, as well as easy-to-follow instructions and notifications that explain users’ choices in simple terms. The new features make privacy controls quicker to find and easier to understand and operate.

Student Privacy Goes to College
Yesterday, I attended the 5th annual Higher Education Privacy Conference at George Washington University with experts and data advocates from across the country to discuss student privacy and information management in higher education. The event was hosted by Daniel Solove, a research professor at George Washington University School of Law, and Tracy Mitrano a principal of Mitrano & Associates LLC.

Broadband Privacy and the FCC: Protect Consumers from Being Deceived and from Unfair Practices
Left to right: Jon Leibowitz, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Former Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Professor Peter Swire, Huang Professor of Law and Ethics, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, Katharina Kopp, Ph.D., Director of Privacy and Data Project, Center for Democracy & Technology, Debra Berlyn, President, Consumer Policy Solutions, and […]

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.

White House Return to Big Data Focuses on Price Discrimination
Today, the White House released an interim progress report detailing the Administration’s efforts on privacy in big data since its landmark report last spring. The update highlights the President’s recent calls for new privacy legislation, including efforts on student privacy and the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and also calls for deeper understanding of differential […]

Interest Based Ads and More Transparency
Facebook wasn’t doing interest based advertising until now? Huh? Most users of Facebook know that the ads they see are selected by Facebook based on information on their profile, what they have “liked” and interests they have selected. Most have also noticed that if they visit a web site off Facebook like Zappos, they may […]