Norma Krayem is a Sr Policy Advisor in our Washington D.C. office
On July 19, 2016, the Republican National Committee released its 2016 Platform which includes a focus on cybersecurity, privacy, data protection, and technology issues throughout the document and in three sections in particular:
- Building the Future: Technology
- The Fourth Amendment: Liberty and Privacy
- Cybersecurity in an Insecure World
The platform highlights the recent passage of cybersecurity information sharing legislation and calls for a U.S. response to national state attacks that would include "diplomatic, financial and legal pain, curtailing visas for guilty parties, freezing their assets, and pursuing criminal actions against them." It also calls for the U.S. to take an offensive strategy against cybersecurity attacks "to avoid the cyber equivalent of Pearl Harbor." Supply chain issues, cyber workforce, cyber insurance, and the right to "self-defense" against cyber attackers were also included in the platform.
The platform addresses privacy and data protection issues as well, citing the need to "advance policies that protect data privacy while fostering innovation and growth and ensuring free flow of data across borders." Concerns about authoritarian governments and internet freedoms are also raised. In addition, the platform highlights the need to "balance privacy rights with the government's legitimate need to access encrypted information" stating that, "A Republican president and a Republican Congress must listen to the American people and forge a consensus solution."
The Democratic National Committee released its draft 2016 Platform on July 1, 2016, which includes cybersecurity, privacy, data protection and technology issues throughout the Platform and in five sections in particular:
- Advancing America's Leadership in Tech and Innovation
- Setting Rules of the Road to Promote Innovation While Protecting Privacy
- Building the Tech Economy on Main Street
- Investing in a World Class Digital Infrastructure
- Smarter and More Innovative Government
The platform focuses on a number of themes under the "Advancing America's Leadership in Tech and Innovation" umbrella including fighting for an open internet abroad; promoting multi-stakeholder Internet governance; growing American technology exports; promoting cybersecurity at home and abroad; safeguarding the free flow of information across borders; and updating procedures concerning cross-border requests for data by law enforcement. "Setting the Rules of the Road to Promote Innovation While Protecting Privacy" focuses on themes that include: reducing barriers to entry and promoting healthy competition; appointing a Chief Innovation Advisor to reduce federal regulatory barriers; encouraging states and localities to reduce barriers to entry; empowering federal enforcement authorities to promote competition; commercial data privacy and protecting online privacy and security, to name a few.
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