NTIA Says It Will Work to Accommodate Remote Privacy Stakeholders

Advocacy groups have complained that proxies are no substitute for contemporaneous interactive access

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/5/2012 5:03:34 PM

The Obama administration's telecom advisory arm says it is reaching out to ensure stakeholders can participate interactively at its upcoming meeting on implementing the administration's privacy bill of rights.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is hosting the first of a series of meetings on privacy on July 12, has agreed to have staffers act as proxies for those not able to attend in person to relay questions and comments, and the meeting is being webcast -- but the groups, which include the ACLU, Center for Digital Democracy and Consumers Union, say that is inadequate.

"NTIA is working to ensure that all stakeholders - both those in the room and those viewing the webcast - are able to participate meaningfully in the July 12 multistakeholder meeting," said an NTIA spokesperson. "More than 400 people have indicated that they will participate in person or remotely. NTIA is committed to providing to remote participants an opportunity to express their views that is comparable to what in-person participants will have," said the spokesperson, adding that NTIA recognizes the resource constraints on the groups and others and saying NTIA would "continue to evaluate how to ensure robust participation by all stakeholders in future meeting."

The groups called for real-time remote, interactive, access to the meeting, which will focus on mobile privacy.