Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, PRIVACY NEWS: McSweeny discusses consumer privacy protection in ‘Internet of Things’ era, (Mar 11, 2016)
Organizations Mentioned:Telecommunications Industry Association
By Michael Menzhuber, J.D., LL.M.
Complaints related to privacy concerns rank consistently at the top of the list of consumer complaints that the FTC receives, according to FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny in a March 9 speech at the Telecommunications Industry Association’s (TIA) Spring Policy Summit 2016 in Washington, D.C.
McSweeny began her keynote address by stating that the FTC has become one of the lead agencies in working with international partners on global data flaws. The TIA, its members companies, and the FTC share a common responsibility to protect consumer privacy in a rapidly changing technological world.
She continued by noting how the creation of thousands of new and useful connected devices have to led to the era of the “Internet of Things” (IoT). While the IoT delivers many benefits, there is a potential for malicious exploitation of the personal data that is stored. Currently 60 percent of these devices have vulnerabilities in the interface alone.
Specifically addressing identity theft, McSweeny stated that the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that nearly seven percent of the entire U.S. population was victims of identity theft in 2014. As the nation’s leading consumer protection agency, the FTC has worked to help identity theft victims through its improved IdentityTheft.gov website and encouraged business to embrace security by design, according to McSweeny.
Acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to privacy and security, the Commissioner noted that there are baseline steps that companies can take to safeguard consumer data. Encryption is one such step. However, she explained that more can be done to encourage end-to-end encryption, starting with an understanding that there should be no “back doors” for law enforcement.
McSweeny concluded by stating that it was important to continue constructive dialogue between policy makers, such as the FTC, and industry leaders and that everyone must work together to ensure consumers are well protected from vulnerabilities that can leave data and personal information exposed.
News: ConsumerProtection Privacy FederalTradeCommissionNews