[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 98 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29315-29316]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-7779]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Development and Implementation of Cross-border Privacy Rules in 
the Asia Pacific Cooperation Group

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.

ACTION: Announcement of meeting and comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce (OTEC) 
invites stakeholders to submit comments on the development and 
implementation of ``cross-border privacy rules'' in the Asia-Pacific 
Economic Cooperation Group (APEC). OTEC will also hold a public meeting 
at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC on June 13, 2006. 
Written and electronic comments will be accepted until June 14, 2006. 
Topics to be discussed at the public meeting will include: the efficacy 
or need of cross-border privacy rules, obstacles to their creation, 
among other related issues.

DATES: Written and electronic comments are due by June 14, 2006. If you 
would like to attend the meeting please respond by June 9, 2006. The 
public meeting will take place on June 13, 2006. The meeting time is 
TBD.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this notice and requests to attend 
the meeting should be sent to the attention of Eric M. Holloway at one 
of the following addresses. See supplementary information for 
additional instructions on submitting comments.
    Eric Holloway: 1401 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 2806, Washington, 
DC 20230 [email protected].
    Meeting Location: 1401 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20230, 
Room TBD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Holloway, Policy Analyst, Office 
of Technology and Electronic Commerce, Office of Manufacturing and 
Services, International Trade Administration by telephone at (202) 482-
4936 (this is not a toll-free number) or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The principles-based ``APEC Privacy 
Framework'' (Framework) is an important tool in encouraging the 
development of appropriate information privacy protections and ensuring 
the free flow of information between the member economies of APEC. 
There are 21 APEC member economies: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, 
Canada, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, 
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New 
Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, 
the United States, and Vietnam.
    The Framework can be accessed on the APEC Web site at http://203.127.220.112/content/apec/apec_groups/som_special_task_groups/electronic_commerce.downloadlinks.0004.LinkURL.Download.ver5.1.9. This Framework, which aims at promoting 
electronic commerce throughout the Asia-Pacific region, is consistent 
with the core values of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and 
Development's 1980 Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Trans-
Border Flows of Personal Data, and reaffirms the value of privacy to 
individuals and to the information society. The Framework is also 
intended to provide clear guidance and direction to businesses in APEC 
economies on common privacy issues and the impact of privacy issues 
upon the way legitimate businesses are conducted.
    An important element of the Framework is the development and 
implementation of ``cross-border privacy rules'' (CBPRs) in the APEC 
region. The purpose of CBPRs would be to enable global organizations 
that collect, access, use, or process data in APEC member economies to 
develop and implement uniform approaches within their organizations for 
global access to and use of personal information. A uniform approach to 
CBPRs in APEC would allow for one approval system for CBPRs instead of 
the potential for approval systems for each of the 21 member economies.
    The Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce requests comments 
on the development and implementation of CBPRs in the APEC region. The 
Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce encourages comments on all 
aspects of CBPRs. General areas of discussion could include: (1) 
Impediments to the cross-border flow of information, (2) issues related 
to personal information protection, (3) the verification process for 
CBPRs' compliance with the APEC Privacy Principles, (4) mechanisms for 
the approval of CBPRs, (5) mechanisms to demonstrate compliance with 
CBPRs, (6) mechanisms to enforce compliance of CBPRs, (7) mechanisms to 
ensure support of the concept of CBPRs by APEC member economies, and 
(8) mechanisms to foster cooperation among various regulatory bodies to 
resolve cross-border disputes related to CBPRs.

[[Page 29316]]

Request for Public Comments

    Interested parties may submit written comments from the date of 
publication of this notice through June 14, 2006. Comments can be 
written or sent electronically. All written comments must be legible 
and postmarked by June 14, 2006. Written comments should be sent to 
Eric Holloway, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Room 2806, Washington, DC 20230. Electronic comments should be sent 
to [email protected]. All written and electronic comments 
should include your name, title, and company or organization 
affiliation.

Public Meeting

    A public meeting will take place at the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 on June 13, 
2006. If you would like to attend this meeting please respond 
electronically to Eric Holloway at [email protected] by June 
9, 2006. Please include your name, title, company or organization 
affiliation, telephone number, and electronic mail address when 
responding. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please note this fact when 
responding to attend the public meeting. Non-U.S. citizens are required 
to supply the following additional information: full name, nationality, 
date of birth, and passport identification number.

    Dated: May 17, 2006.
Eric M. Holloway,
Policy Analyst, Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.
 [FR Doc. E6-7779 Filed 5-19-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P