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Public Policy Updates

• February 2008
• June 2007
• January 2007

June 2007

• Promoting Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
• RFID tags
• Children’s privacy issues
• Advertising Codes of Conduct
• Definition of personal data
• Data Protection focuses on national implementation
• Applicable law
• Revision of ICC/ESOMAR International Code
• Developing the ISO Standard on Access Panels
• Research Government Affairs and the 2007 US Congress
• US Legislative Update

Further information

For more information please contact Anna Alù:

a.alu@esomar.org

Public Policy Update - June 2007

The latest initiatives on data protection and privacy

11. US Legislative Update

By Donna Gillin, CMOR Director of Operations

During 2007 CMOR has tracked over 2000 pieces of legislation with potentially negative impact on the survey research profession, either at the state or federal level. Most of these bills revolve around consumer privacy. Few are likely to be acted upon, but CMOR is monitoring them closely and is in communication with various hill staff.

With data breaches continuing as front-page news in the US, Congress also continues to debate multiple approaches to dealing with data security breaches, and CMOR is working to find the right allies to advance the best bill possible for the profession.

Telephone Issues

States across the country have been very active in the area of political calls of late; reacting to numerous automated and recorded message political calls that occurred at the end of 2006. There are various bills concerning this issue and CMOR has been particularly concerned with a bill in Illinois that would ban all uses of autodialers, including for political polls. CMOR has had extensive discussions with the sponsor, and has been in touch with the co-sponsors and relevant committee members regarding this legislation. CMOR’s goal is to work to either amend or “kill” this bill.

In Congress in March, the House passed The Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement (PHONE) Act (H.R. 740), and the Senate is expected to follow suit. The bill would prohibit using false caller ID information or caller ID information of an actual person without their consent, with the intent to defraud or deceive – also known as caller ID “spoofing.”  Direct impact on the research profession is minimal, but CMOR will be examining this legislation in refining best practices and codes and standards regarding the use of such identification in all media used for research purposes.

More information

• Director of Government Affairs Howard Fienberg at hfienberg@cmor.org

CMOR.org

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