Giovanni Buttarelli, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the recipient of the 2019 EPIC Champion of Freedom Award, has passed. He was 62. "We are all profoundly saddened by this tragic loss of such a kind and brilliant individual. Throughout his life Giovanni dedicated himself completely to his family, to the service of the judiciary and the European Union and its values," Buttarelli's office said in a statement. Buttarelli led efforts in the European Union and around the world to establish privacy as a fundamental human right. At the 2018 privacy commissioners conference in Brussels, he spoke about the need to place humanity at the forefront of the digital society. Buttarelli said "we need to establish a sustainable ethics for a digital society." Buttarelli was also one of the first signatories of the Universal Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence, a framework for AI governance based on the protection of human rights. At the 2019 EPIC Champion of Freedom Awards event in Brussels, Shoshana Zuboff (11:30) said “Giovanni has lifted our sights . . . to the essence of the quality of the information society that will be our true legacy . . .” Buttarelli remarks (16:45).
A new lawsuit alleges that Facebook violated the Fair Housing Act by allowing advertisers to use factors such as race, sex, and disability to prevent home buyers and renters from seeing housing ads. Facebook recently settled claims and made changes to its advertising practices following lawsuits by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. EPIC is currently challenging the FTC's settlement with Facebook, arguing that it provides little benefit to Facebook users. EPIC also supports algorithmic transparency, which would reduce bias and help ensure fairness in automated decisionmaking. EPIC proposed the Universal Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence as the basis for federal legislation. The Universal Guidelines have been endorsed by more than 250 experts and 60 organizations in 40 countries.
Just Security has published a new collection of expert summaries of the Mueller Report. The collection includes two entries by Professor Jennifer Daskal, Chair of the EPIC Board, on Russian hacking operations and Special Counsel's charging decisions under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. In EPIC v. DOJ, EPIC is seeking the complete, unredacted Mueller Report. EPIC recently argued for the full release of the Report before Judge Reggie B. Walton. A ruling in the case is expected this fall. Copies of the Mueller Report obtained by EPIC, related materials, and background on the case are available for purchase at the EPIC Bookstore.
