ITI Underscores Benefits of Data-Driven Technology to FTC, Reiterates Call for Congressional Action on Privacy Legislation
WASHINGTON – Today, in comments (opens in a new tab) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), global tech trade association ITI underscored industry’s support for Congressional action on a comprehensive federal privacy framework and outlined concerns with an overly broad FTC rulemaking approach. In its comments, ITI cautioned that the FTC’s proposed rule does not consider the many consumer benefits of data-driven technologies, including communications, remote work, travel, banking, and education. ITI also highlighted the technology industry’s promotion of cutting-edge data security practices based on existing frameworks and standards.
“ITI members are driving forward and shaping U.S. and global standards to improve privacy and data security and build consumer trust. These efforts enable innovation and consumer value, promote existing responsible data practices including, for example, data minimization and anonymized data processing, and work to resolve—not add to—the current fragmented regulatory system,” ITI wrote in the comments responding to the FTC’s Commercial Surveillance and Data Security Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. “Effective privacy and data security frameworks should reduce the complexity of the current fragmented regulatory system and complement and build on existing industry standards and compliance efforts. Ultimately, Congressional action is needed to provide a uniform, national approach that will also work with the grain of global privacy and data security developments.”
In the comments (opens in a new tab), ITI noted the FTC’s work to date in promoting high privacy and data security standards. However, ITI highlighted several concerns with the FTC’s current proposed approach, including its broad characterization of any commercial data processing activity as ‘commercial surveillance’, and called for consideration of the countervailing consumer benefits of data-driven technologies, as required by the FTC’s rulemaking authorities.
ITI has long called for strong, preemptive federal privacy legislation that provides a unified, national framework of meaningful individual control rights and responsible data business practices that is aligned with global standards. In June 2022, ITI provided (opens in a new tab) the global tech industry’s perspective on the draft American Data Privacy and Protection Act in testimony before the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce (opens in a new tab). In 2019, ITI published the Framework to Advance Interoperable Rules (FAIR) on Privacy (opens in a new tab), legislative roadmap that advances the privacy rights of consumers and defines the responsibilities of companies in using personal data while supporting innovation.
Read the full comments here (opens in a new tab).
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