
Privacy Papers 2019
The winners of the 2019 Privacy Papers for Policymakers (PPPM) Award are: Antidiscriminatory Privacy by Ignacio N. Cofone, McGill University Faculty of Law Abstract Law often regulates the flow of information to prevent discrimination. It does so, for example, in Law often blocks sensitive personal information to prevent discrimination. It does so, however, without a […]

What They’re Saying: Stakeholders Warn Senate Surveillance Bill Could Harm Students, Communities
Parents, privacy advocates, education stakeholders, and members of the disability rights community are raising concerns about new Senate legislation that would mandate unproven student surveillance programs and encourage greater law enforcement intervention in classrooms in a misguided effort to improve school safety. Last week, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the RESPONSE Act, legislation that is intended to help reduce and […]

Increased Surveillance is Not an Effective Response to Mass Violence
By Sara Collins and Anisha Reddy This week, Senator Cornyn introduced the RESPONSE Act, an omnibus bill meant to reduce violent crimes, with a particular focus on mass shootings. The bill has several components, including provisions that would have significant implications for how sensitive student data is collected, used, and shared. The most troubling part […]

FPF Receives Grant To Design Ethical Review Process for Research Access to Corporate Data
Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has received a grant to create an independent party of experts for an ethical review process that can provide trusted vetting of corporate-academic research projects. FPF will establish a pool of respected reviewers to operate as a standalone, on-demand review board to evaluate research uses of personal data and create a set of transparent policies and processes to be applied to such reviews.

COPPA Workshop Takeaways
On Monday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held a public workshop focused on potential updates to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule. The workshop follows a July 25, 2019 notice of rule review and call for public comments regarding COPPA rule reform. The comment period remains open until December 9th. Senior FTC officials […]

What is 5G Cell Technology? How Will It Affect Me?
The leap from 3G to 4G technology brought with it faster data transfer speeds, which supported widespread adoption of data cloud and streaming services, video conferencing, and Internet of Things devices such as digital home assistants and smartwatches. 5G technology has the potential to enable another wave of smart devices: always connected and always communicating to provide faster, more personalized services.

FTC Reaches Landmark Settlement Regarding Kids’ Privacy, Clarifies Platforms’ and Video Creators’ COPPA Obligations for Child-Directed Content
By Sara Collins Last week the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released details of a settlement with YouTube under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Although notable for its landmark monetary penalty, the settlement is probably more important for the other requirements that it places on YouTube and content creators. Some of YouTube’s settlement obligations […]

How the FTC Became a "Super CNIL"
By Winston Maxwell European data protection authorities are quick to remind citizens and companies that the U.S. lacks adequate protection of personal data. Many Europeans therefore assume that the U.S. is a privacy no-man’s-land. Yet on July 24, 2019 the FTC levied a privacy fine against Facebook that is far above GDPR levels, and imposed […]

FPF Welcomes the 2019 Class of Policy Fellows
FPF is pleased to announce the selection of its 2019 Policy Fellows: Katelyn Ringrose, Charlotte Kress, and Anisha Reddy. Working at FPF for one- or two-year terms, Fellows are key members of the FPF policy team. Fellows focus on consumer and commercial privacy issues, from technology-specific areas such as drones, wearables, connected cars, and student privacy, […]

A Conversation with Christopher Wolf, Founder of FPF
Christopher Wolf is the founder and Board President of the Future of Privacy Forum and a leading attorney in privacy and data protection. Chris helped break the path for privacy law and the modern Internet. He has had a hand in advising and shaping thinking on many leading-edge tech issues including Internet free speech, Internet […]