WASHINGTON – (January 12, 2015) Following President Obama’s announcement of a range of new privacy and cybersecurity policies during an address at the Federal Trade Commission today, Daniel Castro, a senior analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), released the following statement:
President Obama should be commended for his efforts to take action to improve cyber security, consumer privacy, and online trust. The federal government should be actively working with the private sector to help secure the systems and networks that underpin much of the U.S. economy and society. However, while some of his recommendations are on target, many of the President’s proposals miss the mark either by overlooking needed opportunities for reform or by promoting excessive privacy regulations that compromise the potential for innovation. Consider the following:
- The President missed an opportunity to address the continued push by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to weaken security for the purpose of surveillance. These actions threaten the competitiveness of the U.S. tech sector and discourage consumer confidence in digital products and services.
- The President’s proposed identity protection efforts fail to endorse more rapid deployment of electronic identification. In addition, while the President is right to support chip and PIN technology for securing electronic payments, the Administration should also be promoting secure mobile payment technology.
- The President’s Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights takes a wrong and outdated approach to consumer privacy. This proposed legislation, if enacted, would limit opportunities to use data-driven innovation across a variety of fields.
- The President has correctly embraced the need to use data to radically improve U.S. schools and help ensure every child has access to a quality education. However, the proposed privacy rules for education data would limit opportunities to use student data for important goals, such as addressing drug abuse, depression, and bullying.
For more information about these proposals, see the following articles:
- Why the FBI Is Wrong On Encryption Workaround
- Intelligence Community Must Get Its Own House in Order
- Executive Order on Credit Card Security Shouldn't Overlook Mobile Payments
