Privacy Research and Data Responsibility Research Coordination Network

Fpf Education And Innovation Foundation, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Concerns about privacy continue to pervade large-scale deployments of technologies including big data, cloud services and the Internet of Things. The main purpose of the proposed work is to build a community of academic researchers and industry practitioners to address research priorities identified in the newly released National Privacy Research Strategy. By engaging industry stakeholders with researchers and advancing new thinking, research, best practices and practical tools, this work will prompt industry action and advocate privacy-aware approaches to collecting and processing personal information in a manner that respects individual privacy, equality and fairness. This project aims to enhance opportunities for innovation, provide meaningful protections for personal information across industry sectors and institutions, inform the public debate on privacy, and contribute to the development of systems and products used to help society realize the benefits of networked information technology without sacrificing privacy and individual rights. The project will undertake major activities such as an inaugural launch conference and a series of academic workshops and networking opportunities. Issues for discussion will include mechanisms to encourage and support multi-disciplinary research along a continuum of privacy challenges, including how to increase transparency of data collection and use; to ensure data flows are consistent with privacy rules; and to reduce privacy risks of analytical algorithms. Its emphasis on engagement of industry practitioners with academic researchers furthers the development of a community of privacy researchers working across disciplines and sectors and dedicated to the promotion of new knowledge, techniques and practices to better protect individual privacy.