Perspectives on data privacy from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice

Event Summary

On Wednesday, Department of Justice Acting Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer Peter Winn and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Christine Wilson visited AEI to discuss their ideas about US leadership on privacy in the digital age. A panel discussion followed.

In his remarks, Mr. Winn emphasized the need for any federal privacy legislation to take into account the many ways federal agencies collect and handle private data as part of their regulatory and law enforcement responsibilities. He encouraged lawmakers to reject a conception of privacy as a sphere of adversarial battles for control and instead look to build structures that generate trust.
Ms. Wilson’s remarks focused on trends she sees driving the need for federal privacy legislation: the need to prevent a patchwork of cumbersome regulatory regimes, information asymmetry leading consumers not to know how companies collect and use their information, and rise of consumer services and devices that exist in gaps between sector-specific privacy regulations.

The expert panel that followed built on these issues, discussing the possibility of stakeholders from industry, users, and privacy advocates working together to craft rules that meaningfully protect individuals’ privacy while providing companies flexibility for future innovation.

— Will Baird

Event Description

Consumers and firms have enthusiastically embraced the digital world. However, data breaches, intrusive web tracking, and the opaque nature of data usage across platforms have caused anxiety and uncertainty for consumers and policymakers. How we govern the collection and use of data could affect public trust of commercial and public institutions and influence the rate of innovation across the economy. What policies will encourage digital privacy, data security, and innovation and ensure US leadership on privacy moving forward?

FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson and Department of Justice Acting Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer Peter Winn will visit AEI to discuss their ideas about US leadership on privacy in the digital age with AEI’s Shane Tews and Roslyn Layton. An expert panel discussion will follow.

Join the conversation on social media by following @AEI and @AEItech on Twitter and Facebook.

Agenda

11:45 AM
Registration

12:00 PM
Introduction:
Roslyn Layton, AEI

12:05 PM
Remarks:
Peter Winn, Department of Justice

12:15 PM
Discussion:
Roslyn Layton, AEI
Peter Winn, Department of Justice

12:25 PM
Q&A

12:35 PM
Introduction:
Shane Tews, AEI

12:40 PM
Remarks:
Christine Wilson, Federal Trade Commission

12:55 PM
Discussion:
Shane Tews, AEI
Christine Wilson, Federal Trade Commission

1:05 PM
Q&A

1:15 PM
Panel discussion

Panelists:
Pam Dixon, World Privacy Forum
Joseph Jerome, Center for Democracy & Technology
Bret Swanson, AEI
Peter Swire, Georgia Institute of Technology

Moderator:
Shane Tews, AEI

1:45 PM
Q&A

2:00 PM
Adjournment