FCC Launches Privacy And Data Protection Task Force To Safeguard Consumer Privacy

Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the formation of a Privacy and Data Protection Task Force (Task Force) at the FCC during a recent speech at the Center for Democracy and Technology Forum on Data Privacy. The Task Force will coordinate rulemaking, enforcement, and public awareness efforts across the Commission that concern privacy and data protection matters, including data breaches (such as those involving telecommunications providers) and vulnerabilities involving third-party vendors that service regulated communications providers. It remains to be seen, however, how the Task Force will coordinate with other government agencies that have considered privacy and data protection to be within their ambit of authority.