Duane Morris lawyers Glenn Manishin and Jonathan Armstrong acted as counsel to the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) in their submissions to the UK data privacy regulator, the Information Commissioner, on his consultation to shape next-generation data protection law in the UK.
The CCIA is a non-profit trade association whose members are active in the computer, IT and telecom industry. CCIA's members are among the most prominent and innovative technology companies, including AMD, eBay, Fujitsu, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, T-Mobile and Yahoo!
The consultation involved the Information Commissioner's new Code of Practice issued under section 51 of the Data Protection Act 1998. CCIA's submission dealt with a number of cutting-edge technology issues including:
- The use of cookies and tracking devices
- The use of deep packet inspection (DPI) technology on the internet
- The benefits of online advertising
- The dangers of internet fraud
- The issues surrounding social networking
Specifically, the proposal suggests that the law should make a distinction between server side and browser side technology. It also proposes that the Code of Practice and the guidance on it should be regularly reviewed by an advisory board. The board would deal with emerging technologies such as mobile computing, cloud computing and DPI technologies, and would be comprised of representatives of varying interests, including those involved in consumer protection, privacy advocates, the advertising industry, information service providers who carry advertising, bloggers, ISPs and telecom providers.
To view the proposal, please visit the CCIA website.