Thoughts on the Data Innovation Pledge
Yesterday, as he accepted the IAPP Privacy Vanguard award, Intel’s David Hoffman made a “data innovation pledge” that he would work only to promote ethical and innovative uses of data. As someone who only relatively recently entered the privacy world by diving headfirst into the sea of challenges surrounding big data, I think an affirmative […]
FTC Wants Tools to Increase Transparency and Trust in Big Data
However we want to define “Big Data” – and the FTC’s latest workshop on the subject suggests a consensus definition remains elusive – the path forward seems to call for more transparency and the establishment of firmer frameworks on the use of data. As Chairwoman Ramirez suggested in her opening remarks, Big Data calls for […]
Big Data: A Tool for Fighting Discrimination and Empowering Groups
Big Data: A Tool for Fighting Discrimination and Empowering Groups Even as big data uses are examined for evidence of facilitating unfair and unlawful discrimination, data can help to fight discrimination. It is already being used in myriad ways to protect and to empower vulnerable groups in society. In partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, FPF […]
Data Protection Law Errors in Google Spain LS, Google Inc. v. Agencia Espanola de Proteccion de Datos, Mario Costeja Gonzalez
The following is a guest post by Scott D. Goss, Senior Privacy Counsel, Qualcomm Incorporated, addressing the recent “Right to be Forgotten” decision by the European Court of Justice. There has been quite a bit of discussion surrounding the European Court of Justice’s judgment in Google Spain LS, Google Inc. v. Agencia Espanola de Proteccion de […]
Comments to NTIA on Big Data and Privacy
Today, FPF submitted comments to the NTIA as it begins its exploration of how big data impact the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. While the NTIA sought comment on over a dozen key questions, our filing focus largely on four issues: (1) the need for additional clarity surrounding the flexible application of the Consumer Privacy […]
De-Identification: A Critical Debate
Ann Cavoukian and Dan Castro recently published a report titled Big Data and Innovation, Setting the Record Straight: De-Identification Does Work. Arvind Narayanan and Edward Felten wrote a critique of this report, which they highlighted on Freedom to Tinker. Today Khaled El Emam and Luk Arbuckle respond on the FPF blog with this guest post. […]
Making Perfect De-Identification the Enemy of Good De-Identification
This week, Ann Cavoukian and Dan Castro waded into the de-identification debate with a new whitepaper, arguing that the risk of re-identification has been greatly exaggerated and that de-identification will play a central role in the age of big data. FPF has repeatedly called for the need for informed conversations about what practical de-identification requires, […]
Google Responds Promptly to ECJ Ruling on “Right to Be Forgotten”
In a move “welcomed” by privacy advocates, Google today released a web form that allows Europeans to request removal of links to Internet contents that allegedly violate the individuals’ “right to be forgotten.” The form reflects part of Google’s response to the May 13 landmark rulingfrom the European Court of Justice (ECJ) holding that Google can be forced to remove […]
Facebook Making More Privacy-Friendly Changes
Facebook today is announcing two important new steps that should make a big difference for users. First, for new Facebook users, the default audience of their first post will be set to Friends. Previously, for most people, it was set to Public. Additionally, for people already on Facebook, a new and expanded “privacy checkup” tool […]
FPF list of Federal Anti-discrimination laws
Civil rights groups have recently highlighted the importance of respecting civil rights in this era of “big data” . The White House has echoed these concerns in its Big Data Privacy Review. As supporters of the benefits of responsible data use, we thought it would be helpful to companies and advocates to have a convenient list of existing […]