SIIA released a white paper today that provides an in-depth look at the benefits and challenges of data-driven innovation along with a detailed public policy roadmap. SIIA crafted the white paper to provide guidance to help policymakers understand and enable the economic and social value of data-driven innovation. The full white paper is available here.
Data collection and use is at crossroads, and decisions by policymakers could have an enormous impact on American innovation, jobs and economic growth. It is essential for policymakers to recognize that data-driven innovation presents an economic growth engine that is revolutionizing our lives and will create 1.9 million U.S. jobs by 2015. At the same time, we have to address the very legitimate questions about the storage and use of data without strict regulation that stifles economic opportunity. With this paper, we’ve taken a comprehensive look at the issue – providing significant analysis of where the opportunities lie with data and what needs to be done to unlock its full potential. Our goal is help government and industry enable the transformative power of data-driven innovation.
In the white paper, SIIA writes,
Technologists, privacy advocates and policymakers can work together to foster the societal, governmental and business opportunities created by data-driven innovation, while also meeting the challenge of protecting privacy…SIIA urges policymakers to proceed cautiously and avoid policies that seek to curb the use of data, as they could stifle this nascent technological and economic revolution before it can truly take hold.
SIIA’s fundamental principle for policymakers is to avoid creating broad policies that curb data collection and analysis. More specifically, SIIA outlines 10 essential policy recommendations that it believes will make certain there is an effective balance between ensuring the tremendous economic and technological opportunity of data, and addressing privacy and other concerns:
- To meet its full potential, DDI requires a policy framework that provides for an evolving view of privacy rights based on risk and societal benefits.
- The principle of data minimization should be re-interpreted in light of DDI.
- Policymakers should encourage de-identification as a way to balance the needs of DDI and privacy protection.
- Uniform rules should not apply broadly to the collection of personal information and the role of consent.
- Policymakers should promote technology neutrality and avoid technology mandates.
- Open standards are critical enablers of DDI, but they must continue to evolve through industry-led standards development organizations, not governments.
- Policies should allow data collectors and controllers to work with data management and analytics suppliers to comply with privacy and security rules through contracts across varying jurisdictions.
- Policies must continue to balance the need of protecting the privacy of students, while enabling DDI to greatly enhance the teaching and learning experience.
- Governments should adopt policies that leverage DDI to make government more efficient and effective and reduce government waste.
- Governments should continue to embrace open data policies and public-private partnerships that maximize access to critical public data.
As the leading representative of the software and digital content industries, SIIA has long anticipated the opportunities that will arise from the evolution and convergence of information and computing platforms. Many of SIIA’s more than 700 member companies are key enablers of data-driven innovation.
David LeDuc is Senior Director, Public Policy at SIIA. He focuses on e-commerce, privacy, cyber security, cloud computing, open standards, e-government and information policy. Follow the SIIA public policy team on Twitter at @SIIAPubPolicy.