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How Can Policymakers Promote Innovation and Strengthen Privacy?
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Posted by Peter Cullen
Chief Privacy Strategist 
On January 28th, in conjunction with Data Privacy Day, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) convened its second “Exploring Privacy” Roundtable in Berkeley, California. The roundtable brought together some of the preeminent privacy thinkers from academia, industry, civil society and government to discuss complex and nuanced issues around technology policy, mobile computing, social networking and cloud computing.
One of the main topics of the day was the intersection of technology and policy. Specifically, given the importance of today’s technology-enabled, information-based services, what type of policy would help strengthen privacy protections, while at the same time allowing innovation to flourish? The dialogue reinforced that technology will almost always outpace policy, so we need to be careful as we think through what policy and or regulatory approaches might be required while ensuring we do not deny new and innovative products to the public. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith laid out some of Microsoft’s views on this important topic in a recent speech on cloud computing at the Brookings Institution.
Fundamentally, regulating privacy or the use of information is about defining and assessing specific risks and harms, and mitigating those risks and harms through a balance of law, policy, standards education and encouraging market innovation. Indeed, accountability and the “use and obligations model” - discussed extensively at the FTC hearing in December – are increasingly used as examples of a privacy framework that better matches today’s information flows while ensuring the requirements and obligations of data protection are appropriate, and ensures risks can be assessed and mitigated on an ongoing and dynamic basis.
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Microsoft and the FTC: A Continued Focus on Privacy (Update)
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UPDATE: December 7, 2009 – 7:30 a.m. Pacific
Posted by David Bowermaster
Administrator, Microsoft on the Issues
The Federal Trade Commission’s roundtable series on “Exploring Privacy” begins today in Washington, D.C. Microsoft Associate General Counsel Mike Hintze is participating in the first panel of the day, entitled “Benefits and Risks of Collecting, Retaining and Using Consumer Data.”
Links to a Webcast of the event and background materials are available here. The extensive public comments that Mike Hintze filed on behalf of Microsoft last month are also available online, if you’d like to delve into the specifics of our position and our privacy protections.
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Posted by Frank Torres
Director, Consumer Affairs
(originally posted November 9, 2009)
On December 7, the Federal Trade Commission will host the first in a series of day-long roundtable discussions “to explore the privacy challenges posed by the vast array of 21st century technology and business practices that collect and use consumer data.” The goal of the sessions, according to the Commission, “is to determine how best to protect consumer privacy while supporting beneficial uses of the information and technological innovation.”
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FTC Finds Video Game Industry Helps Families Make Smart Choices about Game Content
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Posted by Steve Crown
Deputy General Counsel
The Federal Trade Commission has just released its biennial report to Congress on “Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Children” by the motion picture, music recording and video game industries.
Microsoft and other members of the video game industry take seriously the issue of gaming safety, so we are pleased that the FTC recognized the progress our industry has made as we work to help families make smart decisions about game content. The FTC concluded that the video game industry’s rating system, administered by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), is particularly useful. The report found that “87% of consumers with children who play video games are aware of the ESRB system, and 76% check the rating every time or most of the time when buying and renting games.” Game ratings range from “E,” meaning a game is suitable for everyone, to “AO,” meaning a game is suitable for adults only.
Still, as the Commission also noted, educating parents is only part of the battle. So it is great to see that, according to the report, video game retailers are enforcing the ratings system by checking IDs and preventing under-age kids from purchasing mature-rated games.
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Microsoft and the FTC: A Continued Focus on Privacy
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Posted by Frank Torres
Director, Consumer Affairs
On December 7, the Federal Trade Commission will host the first in a series of day-long roundtable discussions “to explore the privacy challenges posed by the vast array of 21st century technology and business practices that collect and use consumer data.” The goal of the sessions, according to the Commission, “is to determine how best to protect consumer privacy while supporting beneficial uses of the information and technological innovation.”
As part of the ramp-up to the roundtables, the Commission invited public comments about how best to address consumer privacy in emerging technologies. Our comments focus on Health IT, online advertising, and cloud computing. These three evolving fields have a lot in common: each promises significant potential benefits for both consumers and innovators, but widespread adoption depends on ensuring users’ privacy at every step.
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