Ed Felton writes:
Today the FTC is releasing a major report on privacy. Privacy geeks will read the whole thing–and should, because it represents a lot of careful thinking by folks in the agency.
But if you’re a techie who doesn’t have time to read it all, let me point you to a few of the parts you’ll probably find most interesting.
When you’re reading, keep in mind that the report does not by itself establish any new laws or regulations. It summarizes current law and asks Congress to consider new laws in certain areas, but most of the discussion is about best practices that the FTC thinks well-intentioned companies will want to follow. These best practices are organized in a three-part framework: privacy by design, which means building privacy into your products and practices from the beginning; simplified choice for consumers; and greater transparency about data practices.
Read more on Tech@FTC. I’ll add other links/coverage later today.