White House Privacy Reports Challenge Privacy Bill of Rights

The recent White House big data reports are inconsistent with the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights proposed by the White House in 2012, states Technology Policy Institute President Thomas Lenard in comments filed with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The reports, by a group led by White House Counselor John Podesta and a complementary report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, suggest privacy policy should focus on specific harmful uses of information, as opposed to policies limiting collection and use as described in the Privacy Bill of Rights. In his comments, Lenard notes that the proposed Privacy Bill of Rights is based on the Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs), which promote notice and choice, access and security.