Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, PRIVACY NEWS: Put “consumer” back in Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, Commissioner Brill, (Mar 12, 2015)

By Greg Hammond, J.D.

FTC Commissioner Julie Brill delivered the keynote address Tuesday at the “Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Digital Economy” conference held at the Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center in Washington, D.C., hosted by the United States Council for International Business, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In her prepared remarks, entitled “One Year Later: Privacy and Data Security in a World of Big Data, the Internet of Things, and Global Data Flows,” Brill discussed the importance of focusing on consumers in shaping data security and privacy policies.

“While technologies and business models change rapidly, many developments of the past year have confirmed one important message: basic consumer protection principles apply to exciting new technologies, and we need to keep consumers front and center as we develop policies for privacy and security in our increasingly connected world,” stated Brill.

She first discussed the “deeply personal” data collected from the Internet of Things, noting that a recent Hewlett-Packard study found that 90 percent of connected devices are collecting personal information, and 70 percent of those devices transmit this data without encryption. Brill therefore promoted the importance of device security, data minimization, deidentification, consumer control, and other Fair Information Practice Principles.

The Commissioner also promoted baseline privacy legislation that incorporates Fair Information Practice Principles, which could accomplish two goals: (1) provide strong, specific, and enforceable protections for consumers; and (2) provide clear rules of the road for businesses. While the Obama Administration has released a discussion draft of such baseline privacy legislation, Brill notes that the draft relies too much on “codes of conduct” and privacy review boards. Nevertheless, she looks forward to working with Congress, the Obama Administration, and stakeholders to put the “consumer” back in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

“I believe we are all working towards the same goal: protecting consumers and promoting innovation in an increasingly connected, and data driven world,” stated Brill. “Each of us—companies, consumer groups, advocates, academics, policy makers throughout the world—have important roles to play in making this vision a reality.”

News: Privacy FederalTradeCommissionNews