Home

The County of Santa Clara’s Privacy Office invites you to join us for our 2nd Annual Data Privacy Day. With the 2020 election around the corner, the need for an accurate and sound election process is a top priority. The 2016 election is still on everyone’s mind, along with issues about email security and WikiLeaks. Also, the coming of age of social media has changed the election landscape with the ability to target voters and leverage disinformation campaigns in ways not previously seen.

Privacy is critical. The right to an anonymous vote is a cornerstone of the U.S. democratic process. However, much information about voters is either public by law or can be obtained from a wide variety of sources, and campaigns are highly motivated to obtain that information. This tension gives rise to a number of important questions as voters head to the polls in 2020. As information gathering and individual targeting capabilities expand, how should election officials, candidates, and voters prepare for disinformation campaigns leading up to the election? What role will so-called social graphs and profiles play in future elections? How will privacy be impacted by the increase in the use of mobile applications designed to collect personal information and broadcast political messages?

At the County-level, new ways of voting, such as the Voter’s Choice Act, will serve as a backdrop to elevate turnout in the next election cycle with the support of strong election privacy and security practices. Informing the public about the integrity of our election system and the protections in place will be imperative to build public trust and confidence in the way valid voting information is communicated, elections are carried out, vote counts are tallied, and results are presented. Our guest speakers and expert panelists will discuss these issues in elections, privacy, and the public trust along with an update on consumer privacy legislation taking effect in 2020.

Our Speakers*:

Supervisor Joe Simitian – Keynote

Aleecia McDonald – Carnegie Mellon University – Panel Moderator

Gail Pellerin – Santa Cruz County Clerk (Voter Registrar) – Panelist

Kim Alexander, President & Founder of the California Voter Foundation

Barbara Simons – Board Chair of Verified Voting – Panelist

*Speakers/Panelists subject to change

CCPA and GDPR are only the beginning when it comes to emerging privacy regulations. Therefore, you need a plan for how to ensure every aspect of your business complies with state and region-specific consumer data statutes. Simultaneously, you need to balance risk with cost in order to ensure your business can continue to innovate and grow. At The Legal Forum on Statewide Privacy Compliance, you will learn the ins and outs of how to ensure your practices align with the changing laws and how to develop strategies to keep pace with those new acts that are likely to pass in the coming months.