In advance of the Ad Hoc Privacy Advisory Committee's May 2nd application deadline, Chair Timothy Reiniger has provided the following supplemental information:

At the March meeting, the Town Council approved the creation of the Ad Hoc Privacy Advisory Committee, consisting of five citizen members. The purpose of this new citizen committee is for local subject-matter experts to provide guidance to the Town Council and staff on Town government data collection and handling policies (including any contemplated use of surveillance technologies) with the goal of safeguarding the information privacy rights of individuals while balancing community public interest needs.

While many communities around the country have formally created citizen data privacy advisory committees, Cape Elizabeth is now the first municipality in Maine to do so. This marks implementation of a Town Council goal that emerged last year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the federal announcement of the Code of Fair Information Practices, which recognized the urgent need for creating citizen privacy rights with respect to computer-based record-keeping systems.

In launching the federal privacy protection effort, which was largely in response to Watergate-related intrusions on personal privacy and use of electronic surveillance, then Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot Richardson made a public interest determination that "there is a growing concern that automated personal data systems present a serious potential for harmful consequences, including infringement of basic liberties.” In particular, this federal initiative recognized three key citizen rights: 1) knowing that records are being collected and with what information, 2) having the ability to prevent the records from being used for other purposes unless with informed and explicit consent, and 3) having the ability to correct or amend the records.

Recently, Maine has seen such personal data privacy concerns raised with the contemplated implementation of a student biometric-based tracking system in Caribou High School, which was subsequently withdrawn. And, in Houlton, the installation of surveillance cameras in public places has been approved at a per person rate exceeding that of New York City.

In our region, finding a balance between safeguarding individual privacy rights and promoting service delivery efficiencies will be at the forefront in debating greater Portland area goals of adopting 'smart city' technologies.

The deadline to submit an application to serve on the Ad Hoc Privacy Advisory Committee is 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, 2024. Click here to access the online application.