Washington, D.C., January 16, 2024 – The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the business of information, today announces the creation of a Data Policy Advisory Council (DPAC) to bring together thought leaders to discuss cutting edge issues in data policy. The Council is composed of academics, civil society and policy advocates, business leaders and legal professionals serving in a volunteer capacity. These thought leaders are dedicated to studying the ecosystem in which personal information is published and exploring policy ideas to maintain its health while promoting shared consumer privacy aims.
“SIIA has created the DPAC to gather a broad range of insights to broaden the conversation on data policy and educate policymakers and the public on data policy in holistic, nonpartisan and nuanced ways that reflect important tradeoffs for society and individuals,” said Chris Mohr, President, SIIA. “Regulating commercial information is an extraordinarily complex topic and comes with difficult inherent tradeoffs. The complexity of commercially available information is exploding. Important activities ranging from know-your-customer rules in the financial services industry to preventing fraud in ordinary e-commerce transactions are largely taken for granted. There is a clear need to synthesize insights from different perspectives to help shape good public policy.”
Through the Council, SIIA members will have the opportunity to discuss aspects of their businesses with academics and legal thought leaders. Academics will have an opportunity to learn about current business practices and how SIIA members strive to share consumer data in a way that both recognizes the need for consumers’ privacy and respects the policy and constitutional benefits of the public domain.
The Council will also examine the national security benefits and risks of partnership with government entities and accompanying maintenance or analysis of secured data. These discussions will assist SIIA in offering specific policy recommendations for regulation in a way that preserves societal benefits while limiting risks to privacy and security.
“We are excited about the Advisory Council’s launch and look forward to engaging with its members to better inform SIIA’s approach to the regulation of commercial publishing and data policy more generally,” said Steven Emmert, Senior Director of Government & Industry Affairs, RELX Inc. “With legislative proposals gaining steam at both the federal and state levels, we earnestly hope to add nuance and expand the conversation around the benefits and risks of data use and a productive framework for its regulation.”
Law professor Jane Bambauer, a member of the Council, added: “The DPAC is a forum that can help explore ways to protect consumers from realistic risks and needless intrusions without engaging in privacy absolutism. Many policymakers use grand, rights-based language to give consumers the illusion that they are in full control of what happens to personal data. But because many parts of the digital economy cannot function that way, the real substance of privacy law is riddled with exceptions and tedious consenting rituals. Discussions solely focused on ‘rights’ and ‘control’ obscure the fact that data processing is an activity that often helps not just companies, but consumers as well.”
At its first meeting the group had a wide ranging discussion covering data ownership, how private and governmental entities use data, how law and regulation protect rights, the nature of informational injury, and mechanisms to address harms associated with data use.
Inaugural members of the SIIA Data Policy Advisory Council (organizations for identification only):
- Jane Bambauer (Brechner Eminent Scholar and Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law)
- Daniel Castro (Vice President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)
- Glenn Gerstell (Senior Adviser, International Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies)
- Alex Joel (Senior Project Director and Adjunct Professor, American University Washington College of Law)
- Ashley Johnson (Senior Policy Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation)
- Michael Lamb (former Global Chief Privacy Officer, RELX; currently External Advisor to the Centre for Information Policy Leadership and private consultant)
- Orly Lobel (Warren Distinguished Professor of Law and Director, Center for Employment and Labor Policy, University of San Diego School of Law)
About SIIA
SIIA is an umbrella association representing more than 380 technology, data and media companies and associations globally. Industry leaders work through SIIA’s divisions to address issues and challenges that impact their industry segments with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the industry and each member company. This is accomplished through in-person and online business development opportunities, peer networking, corporate education, intellectual property protection and government relations. For more information, visit siia.net.
