On November 2, 2011, following welcome comments by Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection (“IFAI”) Commissioner Jacqueline Peschard, the 33rd International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners opened in Mexico City with an examination of the phenomenon of “big data” as a definer of a new economic era. In a wide-ranging presentation, Kenneth Neil Cukier of the Economist drew into clear relief the possibilities and problems associated with combining vast stores of data and powerful analytics. He highlighted the growing ability to correlate seemingly unrelated data sets to predict behavior, reveal trends, enhance product performance and safety and derive meaning. In his remarks Cukier noted that, in an era of big data, much of the decision-making about data collection and use goes beyond traditional notions of privacy, touching on ethics and free will. Noting that the printing press led to the development of free speech laws, he left open the question of how big data may change the legal landscape.
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Privacy News- Lawsuit targets Google privacy policy February 9, 2012SAN FRANCISCO - A consumer watchdog has escalated its efforts to block Google from rolling out a controversial new privacy policy that would allow the Internet search giant to harvest more information about its users. But the Electronic Privacy... […]
- Gehan Gunasekara: Privacy breaches as bad as piracy February 9, 2012It was a tale of two raids. On the one hand there was the massive swoop carried out in New Zealand on Kim Dotcom and his acquaintances by the authorities acting on allegations by overseas intellectual property owners of illegal file sharing. On the other... […]
- Extra data protection staff needed February 9, 2012ELAINE EDWARDSData Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes has said his office cannot oversee the activities of the many major multinational companies headquartered here without additional resources.His office would become the 'hub', or designated... […]
- EU fights 'fierce lobbying' to devise data privacy law February 9, 2012WHAT makes Facebook worth $100 billion? In the words of one EU spokesman, "its quite simple: Facebook has 850 million users, and it wants to sell their stuff to advertisers. Data is the currency of our age". While the social network is not selling any... […]
- Privacy group wanting FTC to punish Google files lawsuit February 8, 2012Privacy advocates on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit aimed at forcing government officials to punish Google over alleged privacy violations. In the complaint, the Electronic Privacy and Information Center said Googles plans to tie together data of... […]
- Data protection plan will cut costs - EC February 8, 2012KARLIN LILLINGTON in BrusselsSIGNIFICANT PROPOSED changes in data protection legislation will expand markets and decrease paperwork and costs, rather than create barriers, the European Commission has assured small and medium businesses.The commission was... […]
- Facebook will release more user data February 8, 2012Facebook has promised to release more information about the data it collects from millions of users, an Austrian group lobbying for respect of privacy laws says. Facebook had agreed in December to overhaul privacy protection for more than half a billion... […]
- FTC sued over planned Google privacy changes February 8, 2012(STEPHEN HIRD - REUTERS) A privacy advocacy group on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission that targets Google for . The Electronic Privacy and Information Center said in its complaint that Googles planned privacy policy... […]
- Facebook will release more user data: Lobby group February 8, 2012VIENNA: Social media network Facebook has promised to release more information about the data it collects from millions of users, an Austrian group lobbying for respect of privacy laws said.Facebook had agreed in December to overhaul privacy protection... […]
- Casey Anthony team objects to release of audio recordings February 8, 2012Casey Anthony's legal team has filed a formal objection to the request by attorneys for Zenaida Gonzalez to produce the "audio recordings" mentioned in Anthony's video diary.Her attorneys object to the request because it "is vague, confusing, over broad,... […]
- Lawsuit targets Google privacy policy February 9, 2012