The Privacy Multistakeholder Process Turns to Substance

At the second privacy multistakeholder meeting regarding mobile application transparency held August 22, stakeholders made substantial progress on procedural issues to move this process forward. Poll results from the meeting are available here. NTIA grouped the poll results into three categories: “general support,” “mixed views,” and “general opposition.” These categories are our rough groupings, and are certainly not binding. However, we think that they are helpful in identifying stakeholders’ initial priorities moving forward. Stakeholders are welcome to propose concrete suggestions on procedural topics from any category.

This Wednesday, stakeholders will meet again, with two main goals. First, stakeholders will develop an initial priority list for substantive elements that might be included in a code of conduct for mobile application transparency. Second, stakeholders will propose concrete procedural steps that the group can take to implement the top priority substantive elements.

In an effort to support stakeholders, NTIA has organized the substantive elements previously raised by the group into four categories. We hope that these rough categories will assist in stakeholders’ review of their previous work and streamline the discussion of substantive elements at the August 29 meeting. Stakeholders are, of course, encouraged to propose changes to the categories if they believe a different structure would be superior.

We are encouraged by stakeholder’s participation at the first two meetings. We are also pleased that stakeholders have continued to meet and work on issues regarding mobile application transparency between meetings. A group of stakeholders have established an online forum and wiki. Other stakeholders have posted information concerning existing efforts to develop guidelines that contribute to transparency and the technical issues underlying the mobile application marketplace. NTIA does not publish or manage these resources. We encourage stakeholders to continue to work together, exchange information, and cooperate in developing a code of conduct for mobile application transparency.

We look forward to the next multistakeholder meeting this Wednesday, where stakeholders can discuss substantive elements and concrete procedural steps forward.