NIST Announces Collaborative Project To Develop Principles Addressing The Privacy Of Personal Information

On September 4, 2018, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it "has launched a collaborative project to develop a voluntary privacy framework to help organizations manage risk." Based on the model of NIST's Cybersecurity Framework, the Privacy Framework will be designed to help organizations "better identify, assess, manage, and communicate privacy risks; foster the development of innovative approaches to protecting individuals' privacy; and increase trust in products and services."

The NIST effort comes as the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is developing a "domestic legal and policy approach for consumer privacy" in coordination with the Department's International Trade Administration to ensure consistency with international policy objectives. NTIA is expected to solicit public input on its project later this month.