SIIA today welcomed the release of the White House’s report on privacy. In its report, the White House proposes that privacy codes of conduct be developed through a multi-stakeholder process that involves representatives from industry sectors, civil society, and representatives of other governments. The Department of Commerce would convene these discussions and act as a facilitator to ensure progress.
Voluntary, industry-specific privacy guidelines will improve privacy while maintaining the incentive and opportunity for industry participants to bring new information products and services to the public. Relying on a regulatory agency to come up with one-size-fits-all privacy rules will inhibit innovation and won’t lead to the most effective privacy protection for the public. The White House has developed a forward-looking, effective approach to improving privacy.
We simply don’t need legislation to develop privacy standards that work. The general principles of fair information practice are well known and have been articulated anew in the report. These principles can be made more specific through industry sector codes of conduct, and compliance can be assured through the existing authority of the Federal Trade Commission.
SIIA cannot endorse this proposal as a legislative initiative, but we welcome the multi-stakeholder process and look forward to participating in it. We also welcome the proposed multi-stakeholder agreement on adopting a do-not-track system.
Today’s agreement providing consumers and business with clear privacy rules related to online behavioral advertising is a good first step in carrying out the promise of the multi-stakeholder approach to protecting privacy. We are encouraged that the agreement was done collaboratively, with involvement from government, business and civil society. SIIA looks forward to additional accomplishments and stands ready to work with all stakeholders to continue to ensure consumer privacy is protected in the Internet age.
Ken Wasch is President of SIIA.