NetHui 2012 to feature Privacy keynote: Pamela Jones Harbour

InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) is pleased to announce that former US Federal Trade Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour will deliver the International Keynote on the first day of the NetHui 2012 conference at SkyCity in Auckland from 11-13 July (see www.nethui.org.nz).

Ms Harbour is recognised internationally for her leadership in the emerging field of privacy and data security. She was the 2010 recipient of the Electronic Privacy Information Center’s (EPIC’s) “Champion of Freedom Award” for her defense of consumer privacy as a Federal Trade Commissioner.

InternetNZ Chief Executive Vikram Kumar says, “New Zealanders are increasingly using international online services. These provide people, professionals, and businesses with many benefits and access to the best the world has to offer. At the same time, when things go wrong, it can be hard and complex to sort things out”.

“For example, many online services collect, store and share our personal information overseas. Our data crosses borders, leading to issues of multiple jurisdictions, regulators, and business practices. Which laws apply? What can we practically do if personal information is accessed without authorisation? Can we actually complain to someone about an overseas-based online service? Is it even worth complaining?”

Pamela Jones Harbour says she is looking forward to visiting New Zealand, presenting on and discussing issues of privacy and data security. “Any multinational company holding personal data is facing serious risks, regardless of which countries the data are held or transferred. Governments must carefully examine their existing laws to determine where regulations are inflexible to keep pace with evolving technology.”

Ms Harbour will be introduced by New Zealand's Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff, who sits on the Advisory Board for NetHui 2012.

“I am delighted that NetHui has secured Pamela Jones-Harbour as keynote speaker,” says Ms Shroff. “Some of the leading work on protecting people in global cyberspace is being done in the US. I look forward to hearing about US initiatives in regulating large Web services companies for the benefit of people both in the US and worldwide.”

During her seven years as a Federal Trade Commissioner, Pamela Jones Harbour was instrumental in shaping an ambitious agenda that encompassed a wide variety of competition and consumer protection issues affecting virtually every economic sector.

As a key member of the U.S. delegation to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits, she was directly involved in representing U.S interests during negotiation and future implementation of a global privacy framework related to cross-border data transfers.

In 2011, Ms Harbour was appointed as Co-Chair of the Legal Working Group of the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) – a non-profit organization led by a broad coalition of industry practitioners, corporations, and associations, whose mission is to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance with cloud computing.