The FAA's Drone Advisory Committee, facing an open government lawsuit from EPIC, has scrapped the secretive committees that developed drone policy. EPIC filed a lawsuit challenging the closed-door meetings with agency officials and industry reps. EPIC also charged that the FAA ignored the privacy risks posed by the deployment of drones—even after identifying privacy as a top public concern. The FAA acknowledged that the committees provided policy advice, but the FAA failed to comply with open government laws. EPIC has a long history of promoting government transparency and advocating for privacy protections against drones.
EPIC has filed a "friend of the court" brief in a case concerning the constitutionality of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the law the prohibits unwanted "robocalls." In Gallion v. Charter Communications, EPIC argued that "the TCPA prohibitions are needed now more than ever," citing the intrusiveness of marketing calls directed toward cell phones. EPIC also said the TCPA "protects important consumer privacy interests." EPIC testified in support of the TCPA and has submitted extensive comments and amicus briefs on the consumer privacy law.
EPIC submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration—the agency that advises the White House on Internet policy—on the proposed framework for consumer privacy. EPIC backed the "Desired Outcomes:" (1) transparency, (2) control, (3) minimization, (4) security, (5) access and correction, (6) risk management, and (7) accountability. But EPIC urged the agency to support federal baseline legislation, the creation of a data protection agency, and the ratification of the International Privacy Convention. EPIC explained, "These are not policy preferences or partisan perspectives. These are the steps that modern societies must take to safeguard the personal data of their citizens.” NTIA Secretary David Redl met with the Privacy Coalition last month.
