
Examining Ethics, Privacy, and Research Reviews
Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Ohio State University’s Program on Data and Governance are holding a discussion of ethics, privacy and practical research reviews in corporate settings. This timely event, which follows the White House’s call to develop strong data ethics frameworks, convened corporate and academic leaders to discuss how to integrate ethical and privacy considerations into innovative data projects and research.

June 14th Event: A Roundtable on Ethics, Privacy, and Research Reviews
Please join the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Ohio State University’s Program on Data and Governance in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, for a discussion of ethics, privacy and practical research reviews in corporate settings.

Always on: Privacy Implications of Microphone-Enabled Devices
Is your smart TV listening to your conversations? Are your children’s toys spying on your family? These questions are being raised as the next generation of Internet-connected devices enters the market. Such devices, often dubbed “always on,” include televisions, cars, toys and home personal assistants, many of which now include microphones and speech-recognition capabilities.

Google Provides Open Source Platform for Beacon Security
After an initial splash, news about beacon technology has been fairly quiet recently, but last week an advancement was announced that will support easier access to privacy and security capabilities on this unique technology. Beacons are sometimes misunderstood – thought to collect or retain data on nearby people, or able to track smartphone movements without […]

Future of Privacy Forum Releases Statement on FTC's Settlement with Retail Tracking Company
“Today’s settlement by the Federal Trade Commission with Nomi, a mobile location tracking company, demonstrates the …

President Obama Backs FPF-SIIA Student Privacy Pledge
President Obama today strongly endorsed the Student Privacy Pledge, calling for more companies to make a firm commitment to using student data only …

Discussing the Merits of Device Encryption
In the wake of Apple and Google’s recent decision to implement “whole device encryption” on their latest mobile operating systems, the FBI has warned that the tech giants’ actions will force law enforcement to “go dark” when it comes to keeping tabs of criminals. FPF has previously explored the question of encryption and law enforcement access, […]

"Big Data: Putting Heat on the Hate" by Chris Wolf and Jules Polonetsky
Today, Re/code ran an essay by Chris Wolf and Jules Polonetsky, marking the five year signing of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The two discussed big data’s ability to put the “heat on hate,” concluding that while “[t]hese are still the early days of development for big data and civil rights . . . it is becoming […]

Android 5.0, Lollipop: Major New Privacy Features
Earlier this month, Google announced the final release of Android 5.0 Lollipop, also known as Android L. Lollipop includes a number of valuable new privacy features worth special applause. Default Encryption New phones and tablets with Lollipop come with encryption automatically turned on to help protect data on lost or stolen devices or from […]

Google Taps the YubiKey for Better Account Security
With identity theft and cybersecurity issues in the news seemingly on a daily basis, better tools to protect our data – and our privacy – are always welcome. For some time, FPF has endorsed the use of two-factor authentication as an “extra” step consumers can take to protect their accounts across a variety of online services. While everyone at FPF uses […]