Student Privacy, Special Education, and Online Learning: Navigating COVID-19 and Beyond
COVID-19 continues to disrupt education…And virtual learning poses unique student privacy challenges, particularly for students with disabilities
FPF Releases Follow-Up Report on Consumer Genetics Companies and Practice of Transparency Reporting
Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) published “Consumer Genetic Testing Companies & The Role of Transparency Reports in Revealing Government Requests for User Data,” examining how leading consumer genetic testing companies require valid legal processes before disclosing consumer genetic information to the government, as well as how companies publish transparency reports around such disclosures. […]
California SB 980 Would Codify Many of FPF’s Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services, but Key Differences Remain
Authors: John Verdi (Vice President of Policy) and Katelyn Ringrose (Christopher Wolf Diversity Law Fellow) In July 2018, the Future of Privacy Forum released Privacy Best Practices for Consumer Genetic Testing Services. FPF developed the Best Practices following consultation with technical experts, regulators, leading consumer genetic and personal genomic testing companies, and civil society. The […]
FPF & BrightHive Release Playbook to Create Responsible Contact Tracing Initiatives, Address Privacy & Ethics Concerns
A new playbook from the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and BrightHive, Responsible Data Use Playbook for Digital Contact Tracing, provides a series of considerations to assist stakeholders in setting up a digital contact tracing initiative to track and manage the spread of COVID-19, while addressing privacy concerns raised by these technologies in an ethical, […]
Associated Press: Schools debate whether to detail positive tests for athletes
In a recent article published by the Associated Press in The Washington Post and The New York Times, the Future of Privacy Forum warns of the privacy risks of sharing information about positive COVID-19 tests among students, particularly student athletes who have already returned to campus to prepare for the upcoming sports season. Read an excerpt […]
Polonetsky: Are the Online Programs Your Child’s School Uses Protecting Student Privacy? Some Things to Look For
Op-ed by Future of Privacy Forum CEO Jules Polonetsky published in The74. As CEO of a global data protection nonprofit, I spend my workdays focused on helping policymakers and companies navigate new technologies and digital security concerns that have emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, my children have adopted many of these […]
Thermal Imaging as Pandemic Exit Strategy: Limitations, Use Cases and Privacy Implications
Authors: Hannah Schaller, Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, and Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup Around the world, governments, companies, and other entities are either using or planning to rely on thermal imaging as an integral part of their strategy to reopen economies. The announced purpose of using this technology is to detect potential cases of COVID-19 and filter out individuals in […]
Bipartisan Privacy Bill Would Govern Exposure Notification Services
Authors: Stacey Gray, Senior Counsel; Katelyn Ringrose, Christopher Wolf Diversity Law Fellow; and Polly Sanderson, Policy Counsel Yesterday, Senators Cantwell (D-WA), Cassidy (R-LA), and Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a new COVID-19 data protection bill, the Exposure Notification Privacy Act, which would create legal limits for “automated exposure notification services.” The bill comes on the heels of […]
Apple & Google Update Terms for COVID-19 Apps
While the legislative process for COVID-related data is advancing, the business and platform standards for apps are falling in place. Rules for All COVID Apps In response to the coronavirus pandemic, developers are rushing to create applications to support healthcare systems, spread awareness in the community, guide epidemiological research, and mitigate the spread. Apple and […]
New Infographic Illustrates Key Aspects of Location Data
Today, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) published an infographic, “The World of Geolocation Data” that outlines how location data is generated from mobile devices, who has access to it, and factors to consider in evaluating privacy risks. Data from our mobile devices, including smartphones and fitness trackers, can serve as a proxy for where […]