Privacy Notice Resolution Resources

Effective communication of information on data protection and privacy practices

Resources Pages

There is clear evidence of a need to improve communications between organisations and individuals about data protection. This need has become even more important in a global environment. A working group of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners proposed a resolution, (see below) for consideration at the Closed Session of Commissioners at the 25th International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners on 12 September 2003. The resolution was adopted unanimously. The conference convenor, Malcolm Crompton, announced this result in a media release on 17 September 2001.

The explanatory notes (also below) shows the thinking behind the proposed resolution. The resolution proposes a standardised, condensed format using simple language as a means of making communication more effective.

Resolution	Explanatory Note
Resolution on Privacy Information Practices	Background paper for Resolution on Privacy Information Practices

The resolution and explanatory notes are available in French and German at http://www.privacyconference2003.org/commissioners.asp

The working group considered some of the research and work listed below in devising the resolution.

Privacy Notices @ Work

EU Work

US Work

EU Data Protection Commissioners have been considering the issue of ensuring individuals get the information they need for
some time including this recommendation.

Recommendation 2/2001 on certain minimum requirements
for collecting personal data on-line in the European Union
EU-Recommendations (PDF. file)

The EC review of the implementation of the EU directive also resulted in some initiatives

Article 29 Working Group – Action 6 (PDF.file)
Article 29 Working Group Program 2003 (PDF.file )

Work in the US has begun largely as a response to the complex notices generated by requirements in financial services and health laws.

Private Sector Work: Highlights Program

Privacy Notice Program (ppt.file 2MB)
Design Requirements (doc.file 1MB)
Template – User’s guide (doc.file 6MB)
Template – Brochure (ppt.file 32kb)
Template – HIPAA (ppt.file 33kb)

FTC initiatives:
FTC-Homepage: Effective Financial Privacy Notices
Short Notice Checkbox Model

Global Work

The P3P User Agent Task Force has been working on machine readability of privacy policies, but is also working on simplifying human readable policies.See - element definitions & translations P3P Homepage.

Privacy Notices – Templates in action

Major companies have begun to devise their own versions of simplified privacy notices.

Proctor & Gamble: Homepage & Privacy Notice
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co: Homepage & Privacy Notice

Publications & Links of interest

These publications & links include research and articles on the subject done by various consumer orientated organisations as well as professional institutes and governments

Consumers	Business/ Institutions	Governments
Culnan-Milne Report: Consumers & Online Privacy Notices (PDF. file) Culnan Article: Privacy Notice & Consumer Choice Harris Report: Privacy Notices Research Consumers International: An international comparative study of consumer privacy on the internet Media release	Mark Hochhauser: Lost in the fine print – Readability of Financial Privacy Notices Mark Hochhauser: Why Patients won’t understand their HIPAA Privacy Notices Annenberberg Report: Americans Understanding of online Privacy (PDF. file 1.6MB)	Comptroller Hawke: on Compliance Regulations & Development of new Disclosures Food Labelling Overview of Labelling (PDF. file 63kb) Consumer Research (PDF. file 555kb) Stakeholder Research (PDF. file 626kb) Consumer Reactions (Doc.file 200kb) Labelling requirements (Doc.file 187kb)