A group known as the Consumer Privacy Legislative Forum, made up of major technology players like Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, is preparing to offer recommendations for new data privacy regulations.

The suggested guidelines are set to be unveiled at a breakout session during the IAPP Privacy Summit 09, to be held March 11 to 13 in Washington, DC. The session is titled “It’s Time for a New Privacy Framework in the U.S. and Globally” and has the following description:

The increasing diversity of business models and the resulting collection and use of information is putting into question some of the traditional framework approaches to privacy and data protection. This session, featuring recognized national and global privacy leaders, will tackle a central question for privacy professionals and policy makers—can and should the United States move toward a framework (comprehensive) approach to data privacy, and can this model be broadened to other jurisdictions? It will feature the introduction of a revised model that is better suited to today’s rich, global, diverse information-intensive business and consumer models.

The participants have been working on the proposal for about three years, and also include Google, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, eBay, and Eli Lilly. The group’s recommendations will cover suggested rules for data use and the ability of consumers to locate and correct inaccurate data. They will also consider notification in case of data breach, which is now covered by differing state laws instead of a Federal law, according to a PCWorld story.

The U.S. Congress has passed a number of laws covering consumer data privacy, such as the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), but existing laws do not comprehensively cover consumer privacy in general. There have been a number of general privacy bills introduced, but none have yet made it into law. Ari Schwartz, COO for the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), hopes that the recommendations in this proposal will make it.

Schwartz says, “By the end of this year we’ll be able to determine whether this Congress can deal with it. There’s a lot going on right now because of the economy, but there are members who have said they want to see privacy legislation. … They’re people that are clearly committed to legislation. A lot of them put their necks out to support it at a time when it would not be as popular as it would be right now.”

These recommendations could be a great basis for new comprehensive legislation for consumer privacy, recommended by people that truly understand privacy issues. It remains to be seen if the recommendations are skewed in the direction of the corporations involved, but if they are objective it is hoped that Congress and the new administration will give them the needed consideration.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, January 31st, 2009 at 3:41 pm under Google, Legal, Microsoft, Security.

Read more entries by Michael W. Jones.
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