Office of the Privacy Commissioner | Media Release: International privacy leaders to meet
2 December 2010
International privacy leaders to meet 6-8 December 2010, Auckland
Next week, the Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff will be hosting privacy leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the latest international data protection issues. For the first time the US and Mexico will be attending the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum (APPA) as members.
Mexico and the US Federal Trade Commission have very recently joined the APPA Forum.
'The US Federal Trade Commission is one of the largest and most active consumer protection authorities in the world. Its decision to become a member will immeasurably strengthen the APPA Forum and greatly facilitate the sharing of knowledge and resources between privacy authorities within the region. The FTC is active on privacy issues and currently reviewing its approach to privacy protection,' said Marie Shroff.
'Having privacy representatives from Mexico (Federal Institute for Access to Information and Data Protection) and the US here in New Zealand for the first time, along with our other APPA partners, should generate some interesting discussions. The focus will be on international developments in cross-border protection of data and how we can further promote data-safe business practices,' said Ms Shroff.
The APPA Forum will be looking at:
Web 2.0 technologies and privacy regulation such as FTC action on social networking sites including Twitter's security practices that left users vulnerable to hackers
direct marketing and privacy, including the sale of data from Hong Kong's public transit Octopus card for marketing purposes
credit reporting and privacy
international privacy developments
international cross-border privacy enforcement.
Meeting of CPEA - APEC's Cross-Border Privacy Enforcement Arrangement
Before the APPA Forum, a meeting of the participants in the recently established Cross-Border Privacy Enforcement Arrangement (CPEA) will take place on Monday, 6 December. New Zealand is one of the first privacy authorities to become part of the CPEA, a regional cooperation arrangement. CPEA is an important part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) effort to increase cross-border trade and growth in electronic commerce. The New Zealand Privacy Commissioner has been actively involved in the development of the arrangement and its implementation.
'CPEA increases the chances of a New Zealand consumer being able to get a solution to privacy problems encountered as a result of cross-border transactions. It provides new tools for the Privacy Commissioner that make it simpler to find out about counterpart privacy enforcement authorities in other APEC economies and to request assistance in appropriate cases,' said Assistant Commissioner Blair Stewart.
ENDS
For more information contact Cathy Henry 021 509735.
Background information
The Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum has met twice a year for 17 years. The US Federal Trade Commission is APPA's tenth member, and Mexico's IFAIPD, the eleventh. The nine existing members include privacy commissioners and authorities from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Korea and New Zealand. The Australian Privacy Commissioner provides the APPA Secretariat and meetings are hosted in turn by members.
The APPA Forum's principal objectives include:
facilitating the sharing of knowledge and resources between privacy authorities within the region
fostering cooperation and privacy and data protection
promoting best practice amongst privacy authorities
working to continuously improve regulatory performance.
In addition to the twice yearly meetings, the APPA Forum has undertaken joint initiatives including setting standards for reporting of privacy cases, establishing a secondment framework and an annual Asia Pacific Privacy Awareness Week.
Further Information
Information about APPA available at www.privacy.gov.au/aboutus/international/appa
Information about US Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov
Information about Mexico IFAI www.ifai.org.mx/English
Other media releases:
http://www.privacy.org.nz/global-privacy-enforcement-network-launches-website/
http://www.privacy.org.nz/us-federal-trade-commission-joins-asia-pacific-privacy-authorities-forum/