The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee held a series of Privacy events featuring representatives from the:
Federal Trade Commission
European Commission
Overview
Within the U.S. Capitol Complex the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC) hosted a series of three discrete presentations on major governmental commercial privacy initiatives for congressional staff. The briefings were presented by a representative of the government or agency promoting the privacy initiative. Respective presentations were made by the European Commission, the White House and the Federal Trade Commission. The ICAC followed these presentations with a Congressional briefing by a private sector panel of privacy experts on what all three governmental privacy initiatives mean for Congressional decsionmaking.
The four discrete events along with the MP3 audio recordings are listed below:
The Proposed European Privacy Directive and What It Means for Internet Privacy: A Presentation From Françoise Le Bail, Director General for Justice in the European Commission [Bio]
This widely attended educational briefing was jointly hosted with the European Internet Foundation.
Date: Monday, March 19, 2012
Location: Rayburn House Office Building - Room B-339
About: This Congressional Privacy Briefing featured Françoise Le Bail, European Commission, Director General for Justice. Ms. Le Bail discussed the recently unveiled draft European Data Protection Regulation designed to supersede the Data Protection Directive as a comprehensive reform measure to strengthen online privacy rights. Ms. Le Bail emphasized that this new measure will address the current law's fragmentation and costly administrative burdens with a single set of rules on data protection valid across the EU. Organizations will only deal with a single national data protection authority in the EU country where they are mainly established. Companies must also notify a national supervisory authority of serious data breaches promptly. A 'right to be forgotten' will enable people to delete their data if there are no legitimate grounds for retaining it. Furthermore, EU rules must apply if personal data is handled abroad by companies that are active in the EU market and offer their services to EU citizens.
Ms. Le Bail also touched on the White House's recently released "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights," which establish an important set of principles intended to provide guidelines for how businesses should handle the personal information of consumers. This White House blueprint suggests a multi-stakeholder approach to incorporate these principles into federal regulations, enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. In part, the Obama Administration's efforts are designed to move US Privacy regulations into closer alignment with those of the EU and other international trading partners. The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee is tracking developments in this area and will host a second privacy briefing on this initiative as part of this series.
This widely attended educational briefing was jointly hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, and the European Internet Foundation.
The White House Proposal For A Framework for Protecting Privacy: "Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World": A Presentation From Daniel J. Weitzner, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Internet Policy - White House Office of Science and Technology Policy [Bio]
Date: Monday, April 2, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Luncheon Presentation & Q&A
Location: U.S. Capitol Building - Room HC-5 (Accessible via South Entrance of U.S. Capitol Building)
Overview
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee hosted an important Congressional staff briefing on The White House Proposal For A Framework for Protecting Privacy: "Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World" with Daniel J. Weitzner, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Internet Policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This briefing is second in our three part government online privacy series.
On February 23 the Obama Administration introduced a "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" as part of a comprehensive blueprint to address consumer privacy and give users more control over how personal information is used. This proposal includes an Administration call for Congress to write these principles into legislation in several key areas. This blueprint also provides guidance for the Commerce Department to engage in a multi-stakeholder process with companies that use personal data and privacy advocates, in order to develop and implement enforceable privacy policies.
The White House Report represented a comprehensive blueprint to address consumer privacy and give users more control over how personal information is used. This proposal included an Administration call for Congress to write these principles into legislation in several key areas, and also provided guidance for the Commerce Department to engage in a multi-stakeholder process with companies that use personal data and privacy advocates, in order to develop and implement privacy policies, enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. In part, the Administration's efforts are designed to move US Privacy regulations into closer alignment with those of the EU and other international trading partners. This is a significant proposal from the Administration.
The Federal Trade Commission's Privacy Framework Report, A Presentation by the FTC's official Maneesha Mithal, Associate Director of the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [Bio].
Date: Monday, May 14, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm, Luncheon Presentation & Q&A
Location: Rayburn House Office Building - Room 2226
Download Audio [MP3]: Presentation from FTC's Maneesha Mithal
The Federal Trade Commission called on Congress to pass new Internet privacy laws in its Privacy Framework Report released in March. FTC official Maneesha Mithal, Associate Director of the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [Bio], will start this briefing off with the FTC's recommendations -- the last of the three governmental Internet privacy initiatives in this series.
New Internet Privacy Legislation: What the White House, Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission Are Recommending
Date: Monday, May 14, 2012
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, Luncheon Presentation & Q&A
Location: Rayburn House Office Building - Room 2226
Following Ms. Mithal, a private sector panel of experts reviewed all three legislative proposals from the FTC, the Obama Administration's "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights" white paper and the proposed "European Data Protection Regulation" respectively.
Download Audio [MP3]: Panel Discussion of Three Governmental Privacy Initiatives
Panelists
- Justin Brookman, Director, Project on Consumer Privacy - Center for Democracy & Technology [bio]
- Steve DelBianco, Executive Director, NetChoice [bio]
- Rachel Thomas, Vice President, Government Affairs - Direct Marketing Association [bio]
- Peter Swire, Professor of Law, Ohio State University [bio]
- Christopher Wolf, Partner - Hogan Lovells [bio] (Moderator)