[Paris – 10 September 2013] — Yesterday, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) formally launched the adoption of the revised Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data. The Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) to the OECD congratulates the OECD on this announcement, which marks the next evolution of a document that has been an internationally-recognised foundation for privacy regulation for more than 30 years.

This announcement is the culmination of considerable work by OECD members and the Working Party on Information Security and Privacy (WPISP) Privacy Volunteer Group to review the Privacy Guidelines in light of unprecedented change in the use of personal data in the past 30 years. Their work will help ensure that the privacy principles that have guided the development of national laws around the world remain relevant and effective for the future.

ITAC welcomes the introduction of more detailed guidance on the accountability principle for data controllers. The revised Privacy Guidelines also update the principles to promote more effective international cooperation and privacy enforcement in a highly interconnected environment. ITAC extends its appreciation to Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Chair of the WPISP Privacy Volunteer Group, as well as the OECD Secretariat for their diligent leadership of this work.

The OECD Privacy Guidelines have served as a consistent reference for those seeking to develop and update privacy regulations. The technology-neutral character of the guidelines has stood the test of time in the rapidly evolving social and technical landscape.

Privacy on the Internet is a key priority for ITAC members. The group works at the intersection of policy and technology, collaborating across communities to encourage the development of privacy standards, both legal and technical, that are openly developed, transparent, globally-interoperable, and user-centric.

“OASIS is pleased to have been involved in the Internet industry’s advisory review of the update of this key global statement of privacy principles,” said Laurent Liscia, CEO and Executive Director of OASIS. “Privacy is an inalienable right, but our values are engaged in a constant game of “catch-up” with new products, services and risks. Now privacy can be baked in, by design, to technical solutions, using methods which increasingly are supplied by open global ICT standards.”

“The Internet Society welcomed the opportunity to be part of this endeavour through its participation in ITAC,” added Lucy Lynch, ISOC Trust and Identity Initiatives. “Recent headlines on government Internet surveillance programs have sparked great controversy on the privacy of online user data. The OECD Privacy Guidelines represent international consensus, through a multistakeholder approach, on the collection and management of personal information, and this updated document is essential in providing guidance to governments, businesses and other organizations.”

About ITAC

The Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) to the OECD brings together the counsel and technical expertise of technically focused organizations, in a decentralized networked approach to policy formulation for the Internet economy.

ITAC primarily contributes to the work of the OECD Committee for Information, Computer and Communications Policy (ICCP) and its specific working parties such as the Working Party on Communications and Infrastructure Services Policy (CISP), the Working Party on Information Economy (WPIE) and the Working Party on Information Security and Privacy (WPISP).

More information about ITAC and its members is available at www.internetac.org.