Data Privacy Legislation: New Policy Brief Available

[Valerie Vogel <vvogel () EDUCAUSE EDU>]

With the ubiquity of mobile devices and the increases in data breaches, Congress has responded with bi-partisan support 
for comprehensive privacy legislation. As of August 2011, 18 bills have been introduced in Congress concerning data 
privacy. The EDUCAUSE Policy Analysis and Advocacy Program Policy Brief: "Data Privacy Legislation: An Analysis of the 
Current Legislative Landscape and the Implications for Higher Education" analyzes these various pieces of legislation. 
If enacted, many of the bills have implications for data collection, storage, and use that could affect campus IT 
operations and academic research.

Opinion differs as to whether any legislation will be signed into law. However since higher education institutions 
handle personal data at various levels of their operation, it is important that we are attentive to passage of any 
legislation that require ISPs to retain more information about users and to ensure that the data that are already 
retained are adequately protected against disclosure. EDUCAUSE will continue to monitor and report on the progress of 
these various pieces of legislation.

Brief: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EPO1111.pdf
Blog: http://www.educause.edu/blog/cheverij/DataPrivacyLegislationAPolicyB/233885

Thank you,
Valerie
_______________

Valerie M. Vogel
Program Manager, EDUCAUSE
office: (202) 331-5374
e-mail: vvogel () educause edu