SafeGov.org Expert Richard Falkenrath Says Citizens Need a Legal 'Right To Be Forgotten'
Suggests that fundamental change is needed to our national privacy laws especially as government entities transition to cloud services
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeGov.org expert Richard Falkenrath, in an op-ed published in the Financial Times, suggests that the much debated idea of the 'right to be forgotten' is still top of mind for many cloud experts and should not be underestimated as governmental entities are looking to shift to cloud based services.
With the European Commission announcing last month that it is proposing adding a new right to be forgotten to EU privacy laws, Falkenrath suggests that this type of policy has both strengths and weaknesses – but the overarching concept behind the 'right to be forgotten' is the biggest takeaway - Europeans and Americans must have better mechanisms by which they can control their personal privacy online. He suggests that this control is even more important when it comes to cloud services for governmental entities.
Falkenrath suggests that in the education space, the ramifications of Google's new privacy policy, as it applies to Google Apps for Education, present very eye opening realities. He offers that school systems are attracted by the low cost of a service like Google Apps for Education but, once they sign up, they are agreeing to the monetization of data derived from student content and that is a troubling reality. Furthermore, most students (and many parents) may be in the dark about the type of data that is being collected behind the scenes and they lack the controls and tools to stop the data collection.
Falkenrath offers that the only answer to the privacy issues presented by this 'right to be forgotten' concept is a fundamental change in our national privacy laws. He recognizes that there will be challenges to achieving this goal and arguments will be advanced on both sides. But, when it comes to the transition to cloud services for governmental entities, whether a local school system or the Federal government, protecting government information and government users is paramount and the stakes could not be higher.
About SafeGov.org:
SafeGov.org is an online forum for IT providers and leading industry experts dedicated to promoting trusted and responsible cloud computing solutions for the public sector. By fostering a more comprehensive understanding of cloud technologies, including their benefits, capabilities and limitations, SafeGov.org works to empower government users to make well-informed procurement choices from the growing universe of marketplace offerings.
SOURCE SafeGov.org
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