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“Privacy Institutions in the Federal Government”

“Privacy Institutions in the Federal Government”. Professor Peter Swire Ohio State University Center for American Progress Silicon Flatirons February 14, 2011. Overview. Topic of our panel: role of multi-stakeholder processes for governance What should government role be?

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“Privacy Institutions in the Federal Government”

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  1. “Privacy Institutions in the Federal Government” Professor Peter Swire Ohio State University Center for American Progress Silicon Flatirons February 14, 2011

  2. Overview • Topic of our panel: role of multi-stakeholder processes for governance • What should government role be? • Aneesh – convener, standards, focus attention • Privacy – the role of the FTC as enforcer and sometime regulator • Need for any other federal institutions for privacy? • Agencies have chief privacy officers • Privacy and Civil Liberties Board (not yet in place) • Point today: Commerce Department has important complementary role • Could be housed instead in EOP

  3. The FTC as Federal Privacy Agency • Jeff Chester: “Having the Commerce Department play a role in protecting privacy will enable the data collection foxes to run the consumer privacy henhouse.” • This intuition – Commerce Department involvement will dilute the effectiveness of the FTC and give industry a new path for upholding privacy-invasive activities by business • Current FTC privacy roles include: • Enforcement • Rulemaking (currently for Can-Spam and COPPA) • Convener • Institutional Expertise over time • Bully pulpit – effect shows on recent browser practtices for BT

  4. Complementary Roles for Commerce • Clearance – key and little understood • International position of US government • Convening multi-stakeholders • Risks and benefits of duplicating FTC • To simplify, nimbleness vs. relative lack of multiple perspectives

  5. Every Cabinet Agency • • Department of Agriculture. Migrant worker records • • Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Records of service members • • Department of Education. Education records, including for for-profit institutions • • Department of Energy. Smart grid • • Department of Health and Human Services. Medical records; many forms of human services records • • Department of Homeland Security. Numerous issues, including transportation safety and immigration • • Department of Housing and Urban Development. Public housing records

  6. Clearance (2) • • Department of Interior. National park reservations and other services provided online • • Department of Justice. Numerous issues: CALEA, ECPA • • Department of Labor. Records of union membership • • Department of State. International privacy issues • • Department of Transportation. Smart roads • • Department of Treasury. Financial privacy; money laundering

  7. Where to House Federal Office • Commerce Department • Possibly greater staffing • Better chance of institutional memory • International Trade Administration • Executive Office of the President • More powerful coordination in clearance • But, staffing is tight and personnel leave • Perhaps model on Howard Schmidt’s position as cyber-security coordinator • In EOP, but detailees and staffing broader

  8. Conclusion • The administration should have a capability on privacy policy • Clearance • International discussions • Inform privacy policy with the insights and expertise from other agencies • Insert privacy expertise into other agencies’ activities • That illustrates good reasons to have privacy expertise beyond the FTC • Is much more than a cynical ploy to undermine the FTC’s efforts

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