This year marks the 10th anniversary of the City of Seattle’s Privacy Program, a pioneering initiative launched in 2014 in response to growing public concerns about data privacy-impacting technologies. Over the past decade, the program has made significant strides in safeguarding personal information and building public trust.
Over this time, the Privacy Program Team has completed over 6,000 privacy reviews and consultations for City of Seattle technology acquisitions and projects. It has also established a Privacy Champions Network with more than 40 people across the City to help incorporate privacy objectives into departmental processes. Additionally, the program has coordinated annual Privacy and Security training for all eligible staff Citywide.
As we have grown our program, the privacy landscape continues to expand. There are now 21 Chief Privacy Officers at the state level, up from just 12 in 2019, and 20 state-level Privacy Laws have been passed across the nation. While Washington State continues its efforts to pass a comprehensive data privacy law, the legislature has passed the My Health My Data Act that protects Washington State residents’ personal health information.
Here at the City of Seattle, our privacy work has evolved to respond to the enthusiasm for Artificial Intelligence with a principles-based approach to protecting City data. We were among the first cities in the nation to establish a policy to govern the use of Generative AI. Our Responsible AI Program will shortly launch an internal Responsible AI Toolkit with policies, guidance, training opportunities, approved AI solutions, and support for piloting AI technologies within the City of Seattle.
The City of Seattle’s Privacy Program serves as a model for other cities, demonstrating the importance of balancing the need for data collection with the protection of individual privacy rights. Programs like ours are designed to increase trust in how the government manages sensitive data. Yet, many Americans still feel they lack control over their personal data and are concerned about how it is used by both businesses and the government. More information about this may be found in a recent Pew Research Center study, here.
This tells us that continuing efforts to educate and raise awareness about privacy rights and protections are crucial. Together, we will continue to support and enhance privacy initiatives to ensure a safer and more transparent digital environment for all.