Ira Rubinstein's paper wins award at Privacy Law Scholars Conference

Ira RubinsteinAt the 5th annual Privacy Law Scholars Conference, held at the George Washington University Law School on June 7 and 8, Ira Rubinstein, a Senior Fellow at the Information Law Institute, presented a paper which was voted as one of two best papers based on overall excellence and relevance to the profession of privacy.

The paper, which Rubinstein co-authored with consultant Nathan Good, is entitled "Privacy by Design: A Counterfactual Analysis of Google and Facebook Privacy Incidents," and tests the belief held by many regulators that "privacy by design" enhances consumer privacy by undertaking a counterfactual analysis. Rubinstein and Good developed a set of design principles based on Fair Information Practices, the basis of all national privacy laws, and determined whether Google and Facebook would have averted 5 incidents each if the companies had implemented these principles.

For their work, Rubinstein and Good will receive a cash prize and travel expenses to a conference of Chief Privacy Officers, where they will present the paper and formally receive the award. Their paper will also be included in "Privacy Papers for Policymakers," a compilation of abstracts which will be distributed to regulators in the United States and abroad.

Other conference participants included Professors Katherine Strandburg and Helen Nissenbaum, as well as Samuel Tilden Professor of Law Emerita Diane Zimmerman.

Posted June 19, 2012