Items tagged "Data Protection"
The Privacy Debate Reveals How Big Tech’s “Transparency and User Control” Arguments Fall Flat
July 21, 2021 algorithms , Automated Decision-Making , Consent Models , Data Protection , Platform Regulation , Privacy , Privacy FrameworksIf you’ve been following the Capitol Hill hearings about algorithms and automated decision-making, then you’ve probably heard technology companies talk about how they offer or want to offer “transparency and user control” to consumers. Companies like Facebook and Twitter propose sharing information on how their algorithms work with the public, as well as enabling users […]
Read MoreWorking with the 117th Congress to Deliver on a Consumer-Focused Tech Agenda
February 9, 2021 Broadband Access , Broadband Affordability , Broadband Deployment , Congress , controlled digital lending , Data Protection , digital equity , DMCA , DMCA Reform , Federal Privacy Legislation , interoperability , Legislation , Lifeline , misinformation , Nondiscrimination , Notice and Takedown , Platform Competition , Platform Regulation , Privacy , Right to Repair , Section 512The 117th Congress has convened at an inflection point in our nation’s history, unprecedented in more than a century. These are serious times, with the country going into its eleventh month of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment running high, and families facing so many challenges in their work and personal lives. Such times demand […]
Read MoreYour Office Doesn’t Need To Be a Permanent Surveillance State to Stop Coronavirus
July 30, 2020 Communications & Pandemic Series , contact tracing , Data Protection , Privacy , SurveillanceAs workplaces begin to reopen, one question seems top of mind: How do I ensure that my employees aren’t sick? In a rush to answer this question, tech companies claiming to have the answer have begun marketing surveillance measures to track an employee’s risk for coronavirus infection. Unfortunately, it’s uncertain how effective these unproven technologies […]
Read MoreAn Ounce of Preventive Regulation is Worth a Pound of Antitrust Enforcement: The Case for Platform CPNI
July 7, 2020 CPNI , Data Protection , FCC , Legislation , Platform Competition , Platform Regulation , Platform Regulation Series , white paperLast year, Public Knowledge and Roosevelt Institute published my book, The Case for the Digital Platform Act, I argued there that we could define digital platforms as a distinct sector of the economy, and that the structure of these businesses and the nature of the sector combined to encourage behaviors that create challenges for existing […]
Read MoreMaine Was Sued for Trying to Modernize Privacy Laws
June 8, 2020 Broadband Privacy , Consumer Privacy , Data Protection , Legislation , Litigation , PrivacyThere are very few actions as immediately and obviously intrusive as having your mail read. No matter your age or place — or how much you still use physical mail — the right to private communications is an established social norm. Whether I send a letter, text, or email, I expect no one but the […]
Read MorePrivacy-Protective Contact Tracing Depends on More Than an API
April 17, 2020 Communications & Pandemic Series , Consumer Privacy , Data Privacy , Data Protection , interoperability , Privacy , SurveillanceThis blog post is part of a series on communications policies Public Knowledge recommends in response to the pandemic. You can read more of our proposals here and view the full series here. Many observers in the era of coronavirus are advocating that in order for life to “go back to normal,” contact tracing applications will have to […]
Read MoreData Protection is About Power, Not Just Privacy
March 3, 2020 Data Privacy , Data Protection , Platform Competition , Platform RegulationI began working on privacy as a public policy issue in 2010 when Senator Al Franken started up the Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee on the Judiciary Committee. It was very difficult, because back in 2010, not many people cared about digital privacy. The questions back then focused heavily on “What is the harm?” […]
Read MoreWhat a Tech Policy Advocate Looks for at CES, Part 2: The Week After
January 16, 2020 AI , CES , Competition , Cybersecurity , Data Protection , Emerging Tech , Emerging Tech 2020 , Emerging Technologies , Emerging Technology , IoT , Open Systems , Platform Competition , PrivacyLast week I went to CES, the tech industry’s annual conference where they show off cool new products, prototypes, and ideas of what’s next in tech. (I also presented on a panel, “Should Big Tech Be Broken Up?,” which you can watch here.) I approached vendors with a policy advocate eye, and did a lot […]
Read MoreWhat Federal Legislators Can Learn From California’s New Ballot Initiative
November 7, 2019 Agency Authority , CCPA , Consumer Privacy , CPRA , Data Privacy , Data Protection , Legislation , Privacy , Privacy LegislationOn January 1, 2020, the nation’s strictest privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), will take effect. The law empowers consumers to (1) be informed about what personal information a company has collected about them; (2) delete that data; and (3) opt out of companies selling that data to third parties. On top of […]
Read MoreAs Congress Works Towards Federal Privacy Legislation, There Are Some Protections It Should Not Overlook
October 24, 2019 Data Portability , Data Protection , interoperability , Legislation , Privacy , Private Right of Action , securityLast year, Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced a privacy bill, the Information Transparency & Personal Data Control Act (Data Control Act). Public Knowledge provided input to Rep. DelBene’s office on the development of its discussion draft. However, we were disappointed to see that, upon introduction, the substance of the bill had been watered down from […]
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