International Digital Accountability Council

We're thrilled to announce that Sonia Saini will be joining the IDAC team as our newest Tech Policy Fellow! Sonia will be a key contributor on IDAC's latest project: partnering with a national consumer advocacy organization to investigate privacy, safety, and transparency issues within digital finance ("Fintech") applications.

Sonia is a senior at American University and a member of the three-year scholars program in the School of Public Affairs. She is studying Data Science for Political Science, as well as Interdisciplinary Studies (Communication, Legal institutions, Economics, and Government). Her interests lie at the intersection of technology and policy, specifically ethical data practice and regulatory tech law. She hopes to pursue a law degree upon graduation in the spring, and is excited to be working with IDAC towards the shared goal of creating a safer Internet for all of us.

Welcome, Sonia!

In response to the 's request for public comment on harmful commercial surveillance practices, IDAC submitted a letter to the agency recommending areas where we believe further action by the Commission would help address challenges to digital consumer protection:

1. Collaborate with civil society watchdogs to stop harm before it becomes a law enforcement problem. The FTC should form a multistakeholder task force to catalyze and support upstream efforts by civil society groups that can help advance the FTC’s consumer protection mission.

2. Increase protections for sensitive health data not covered by . The FTC should broaden its definitions of health data and take urgent steps to create rules and standards for safeguarding sensitive health information that falls outside of HIPAA.

3. The FTC and the must identify and resolve any gaps in data protection that relate to campaign activities before the . They should coordinate to determine their relative responsibilities and take proactive steps to prevent data misuse by campaigns.

4. The FTC should better protect consumers against overcollection of location data. Use Section 18 authority to define the sale, transfer, use, or purchase of precise location data collected for purposes other than the essential function of the app as unfair act or practice.

5. The FTC should take further steps to regulate so-called “dark patterns” that serve as a digital trap door to deter consumers from making rational choices about their personal data at the point where it is most impactful to do so.

6. should update the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act ( ), but in the meantime, the FTC should make protecting children online a greater priority, while maintaining focus on the need to avoid overly blunt measures.

IDAC applauds the FTC’s efforts to take digital privacy seriously. We will continue to monitor digital privacy developments at both the state and federal levels.

Major development today: President Biden signs executive order to limit data collection by US national security agencies and establish new data privacy rules with the EU. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/07/biden-executive-order-eu-data-privacy-agreement-00060872

Biden signs executive order on EU-U.S. data privacy agreement The order will set surveillance limits and establish a new court for European citizens to redress privacy concerns with US intelligence agencies.

We are thrilled to see California taking steps to expand children's data privacy protections, including banning the tracking of precise location of children. Our investigations have seen this troubling trend and while we would like federal action, we are glad California is leading the way.

California Governor Signs Sweeping Children’s Online Safety Bill The bill could require many social media sites, games and other online services used by children to install protections for minors.

We are encouraged to see the White House hosting a discussion about privacy and accountability in the tech space. It's critically important that we work together with platforms to expand user protections and push forward with federal data privacy legislation.

Readout of White House Listening Session on Tech Platform Accountability - The White House Although tech platforms can help keep us connected, create a vibrant marketplace of ideas, and open up new opportunities for bringing products and

Check out our newest blog post, in which we analyze the of the EdTech giant Illuminate Education, how this impacts , and what must be done moving forward.

EdTech Data Breach Emphasizes Need for Bolstered Data Privacy and Security Protections – International Digital Accountability Council EdTech Data Breach Emphasizes Need for Bolstered Data Privacy and Security Protections By Alex Psilakis While the COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized how communities educate students across the globe, it likewise exposed students to new data privacy risks. The recent case of Illuminate Education emphas...

While we believe comprehensive legislation is the surest way forward, these efforts by the Federal Trade Commission are a strong step in the right direction. As our research has emphasized, we must limit the sale, use, and transfer of location data.

FTC kicks off major effort to craft data privacy rules The FTC voted 3-2 along party lines to seek feedback.

While some privacy experts have advised women to delete their pregnancy and period tracking apps following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe, that is not a realistic option for many women who depend on these apps. Our own Amanda Mandi Munger shares her story in The Boston Globe of how she has relied on these apps through her pregnancy, miscarriage and abortion and how she has used the information we've found in our IDAC investigations to better protect her privacy and online footprint.

My apps tracked my pregnancy and my abortion: Will deleting them protect me? - The Boston Globe Apps designed to track reproductive cycles aren’t expendable, and telling women to delete them in light of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade isn’t a realistic option.

It's critical that we prioritize children's data privacy protections. As our previous research has noted, developers and policymakers may bolster children's data privacy by taking steps like minimizing data apps share with third parties.

Senate panel advances bills to boost children’s safety online Senate lawmakers took their first step toward boosting protections for children and teens online on Wednesday, advancing a pair of bills that would create new guardrails for their personal data and digital activities.

Recent reports around how the US gov't purchases bulk user location data to track individuals in North America raises serious concerns. Read more about what this could mean in a post-Roe society and how Congress & agencies can take action to stop this practice.

Confronting the Government’s Purchase and Tracking of Location Data – International Digital Accountability Council Confronting the Government’s Purchase and Tracking of Location Data By Alex Psilakis While it may seem as though the U.S. government cannot acquire private, sensitive information collected on one’s phone without probable cause, recent news has shown different tools agencies are using to track...

We are glad to see the House taking action on reform legislation and for recognizing the need to protect data, especially children’s data. Now is the time to act.

Analysis | House panel advances major privacy bill, striking a long-awaited grand bargain The puts the U.S. closer than ever to a law.

A new ACLU report highlights how the Department of Homeland Security purchased location data collected from apps on hundreds of millions of phones. Congress must pass comprehensive data privacy legislation to limit the sale and transfer of location data.

Homeland Security records show 'shocking' use of phone data, ACLU says The civil liberties group released documents showing new details about how agencies had purchased information on people's movements throughout North America.

There are growing fears that states will use location data to prosecute those seeking abortions. This is unacceptable. While Google has promised to delete location data around abortion clinic visits, Congress must pass comprehensive legislation to limit the sharing of location data.

‘A uniquely dangerous tool’: How Google's data can help states track abortions Ten states where ending a pregnancy is now illegal have sent the search giant more than 5,700 demands for location tracking data since 2018 — showing the data's potential usefulness to authorities enforcing abortion bans.

Regulators in the US are not doing enough to protect children's privacy. The federal government must ensure the Federal Trade Commission has the resources it needs to enforce regulations. Developers and platforms must also prioritize protecting children's data.

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105212701/users-beware-apps-are-using-a-loophole-in-privacy-law-to-track-kids-phones

Glad to see legislation around limiting the sale of location data. In our investigations, we regularly see apps inferring location using conventional & workaround ways, and failing to appropriately let users know about the collection of this data. Location data is particularly sensitive because of the amount of information it reveals about a user, including their hobbies, lifestyle choices, and habits. We hope to see this legislation move forward.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4axydq/legislation-aims-to-ban-health-and-location-data-protection-act

In our newest blog post, we discuss the recent Federal Trade Commission policy statement on children's and , research around the issues, and how we may best protect the privacy of children using EdTech tools.

Recent FTC Actions Emphasize the Need for Strengthened Children’s Privacy Protections – International Digital Accountability Council Recent FTC Actions Emphasize the Need for Strengthened Children’s Privacy Protections By Alex Psilakis When it comes to protecting children’s privacy online, there remains a lot more that developers, platforms, and government regulators can and must do. In a recent policy statement, the Federal ...

Check out our newest blog post, in which Alex_Psilakis analyzes the patchwork of laws passed in states like CT and CA, and underscores the need for Congressional action on data privacy.

Separate State Actions on Data Privacy Underscores the Need for Unified Congressional Action – International Digital Accountability Council Separate State Actions on Data Privacy Underscores the Need for Unified Congressional Action By Alex Psilakis With no action coming from Congress, several states have taken steps to address data privacy protections for consumers. Recently, Connecticut passed a new data privacy law earlier this month...

IDAC President Quentin Palfrey spoke to Refinery29 on steps users can take to protect their , as well as what actions Congress must take to bolster data privacy protections nation-wide.

Will Our Phone Data Be Used Against Us In A Post-Roe World? If Roe is overturned, up to 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortion. Pregnant people and those who have abortions in these states may be particularly vulnerable to being targeted or criminalized if their data is used against them.

Yesterday the Federal Trade Commission voted on a measure meant to warn companies the agency will prioritize taking action against children's online privacy violations by companies. As we discovered in our past research, EdTech developers can and must do more to protect and security.

FTC to set its sights on ed tech companies The commission prepares to take action against companies seen as using "surveillance" on kids.

IDAC President Quentin Palfrey spoke to the Washington Post about the importance of when using pregnancy and period tracking apps.

How to track your period without compromising your privacy Period-tracking apps have been criticized for bad privacy practices. Here's how to track your cycle without sharing data with companies, employers, insurers or the government.

Be sure to read our newest blog post, in which we discuss recent Google user privacy and security updates, and what steps must be taken to bolster platform education and accountability moving forward.

Google Play Updates Highlight Need for Improved Developer Education and Accountability – International Digital Accountability Council Google Play Updates Highlight Need for Improved Developer Education and Accountability By Alex Psilakis Google recently launched two major updates aimed at enhancing user privacy and security. First, Google announced a multi-year effort to develop a Privacy Sandbox on Android. The Privacy Sandbox ai...

For over 20 years, Congress has considered passing comprehensive legislation. Now is the time for Congress to act and provide broad, effective solutions that prioritize consumer privacy.

Online Privacy Protections Gain Traction With Lawmakers, Tech Industry Disclosures of social-media harms to young people put pressure on Congress and tech companies to safeguard personal information.

In the last few years, Europe has passed numerous, powerful pieces of legislation to protect consumers. But in the US, Congress isn't getting it done. Disagreement in Congress has prevented any serious movement forward. It is past time for US policymakers to make necessary changes and implement nationwide data privacy reform.

As Europe Approves New Tech Laws, the U.S. Falls Further Behind Federal privacy bills, security legislation and antitrust laws to address the power of the tech giants have all failed to advance in Congress, despite hand wringing and shows of bipartisan support.

Earlier this week, the Connecticut state Senate voted to pass a bill that includes implementing strong privacy protections for kids. As we have seen in our previous investigations into education technology and popular kids' apps, more must be done to protect their data while using mobile apps.

Data privacy: CT Senate votes to regulate the buying and selling of you Connecticut moved towards protecting consumer data Wednesday with the Senate’s unanimous passage of a bill that now goes to the House.