Computing Community Consortium Blog

The goal of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is to catalyze the computing research community to debate longer range, more audacious research challenges; to build consensus around research visions; to evolve the most promising visions toward clearly defined initiatives; and to work with the funding organizations to move challenges and visions toward funding initiatives. The purpose of this blog is to provide a more immediate, online mechanism for dissemination of visioning concepts and community discussion/debate about them.


NSF WATCH Talk- Industry Leaders and Academic Privacy Researchers: Adversaries or Partners?

February 9th, 2017 / in NSF, research horizons, Research News / by Helen Wright

JulesPolonetskyThe next WATCH talk, called Industry Leaders and Academic Privacy Researchers: Adversaries or Partners? is Thursday, February 16th, from Noon-1pm EST.

The presenter is Jules Polonetsky, CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), which is a Washington, D.C. based think tank that seeks to advance responsible data practices. FPF is supported by the chief privacy officers of more than 110 leading companies, several foundations, as well as by an advisory board comprised of the country’s leading academics and advocates. FPF’s current projects focus on Big Data, Mobile, Location, Apps, the Internet of Things, Wearables, De-Identification, Connected Cars and Student Privacy. Jules previous roles have included serving as Chief Privacy Officer at AOL and before that at DoubleClick, as Consumer Affairs Commissioner for New York City, as an elected New York State Legislator and as a congressional staffer, and as an attorney. Jules serves on the Advisory Board of the Center for Copyright Information. He has served on the boards of a number of privacy and consumer protection organizations including TRUSTe, the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and the Network Advertising Initiative. From 2011-2012, Jules served on the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee. In 2001, Crain’s NY Business magazine named Jules one of the top technology leaders in New York City. Jules is a regular speaker at privacy and technology events and has testified or presented before Congressional committees and the Federal Trade Commission.

Abstract:

As 2017 begins, are we entering a time of crisis or a time of opportunity for individual privacy?  Law enforcement demands for consumer data continue to grow and surveillance by intelligence agencies continues to drive civil liberties debates.  Online tracking for analytics and advertising has been extended to mobile devices, to interactive television and to smart home devices.  Social media sharing has achieved near ubiquity, with services integrating location, facial recognition, and live video sharing.  With connected cars, our motor vehicles become data collectors and with drones our public spaces can be more easily monitored.  Big data strains against fair information practices of consent, limited purpose and data minimization.  Algorithmic decision making and machine learning wreak havoc with efforts to provide transparency.  Artificial Intelligence may leave us unsure who will even be accountable for data driven determinations.

But yet, the very stress on privacy created by these advances could create opportunities for progress, if academic-industry cooperation can be focused on key issues identified in the National Privacy Research Strategy.  Based on his experience working with more than 130 senior privacy officers at companies, as well as with leading academics and privacy advocates, Jules will discuss options for harnessing academic and industry efforts to advance transparency and control, de-identification, ethics, and algorithmic accountability.  He will review current areas of privacy developments around student data, wearables, connected cars, microphones in the home, smart toys and smart cities.  He will also examine opportunities to ensure administrative data is available to researchers in a trusted manner for evidence based policymaking.

The talk will be held in Room 110 at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA. No RSVP is necessary, and no visitor badges are required. It will also be webcast; you can register here

NSF WATCH Talk- Industry Leaders and Academic Privacy Researchers: Adversaries or Partners?

Comments are closed.