ICC: Principle of Accountability and Data Protection
On 23 January 2012, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has posted a "Data Protection Principle of Accountability Discussion Paper". This Discussion Paper provides an overview of current global discussions of the data protection principle of accountability.
The Discussion Paper is intended only to summarize current discussions and developments concerning the question whether the principle of accountablility can provide assistance in promoting the free flow of information while protecting the privacy of individuals.
There is surprisingly little guidance on what processes and structures an international organization should adopt to show they are committed to make real the obligations they have under law, or that they take on voluntarily, for the collection, storage, processing and use of personal data.
Against this background, work has begun to help define the program elements of a responsible organization. The Discussion Paper focusses on:
- The OECD approach in the OECD Guidelines
- The Canadian approach in PIPEDA
- The Asian Approach in the APEC Privacy Framework
- The approach of Center for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL) in its Accountability Project
At this point, further definition of how organizations can measure and demonstrate their efforts to responsibly process personal data is needed. Such demonstration of accountability will help individuals determine which organizations are deserving of trust in the provision of services and processing of data. The Discussion Paper outlines five main areas where this further definition is happening:
- CIPL Project
- APEC Data Privacy Subgroup
- EU Data Protection Directive
- US FTC White Paper
- US Department of Commerce White Paper
- Council of Europe
ICC "Data Protection Principle of Accountability Discussion Paper", 23 January 2012
