Overview
Privacy is a fundamental human right.
Robust privacy and information protection are cornerstones for building trust across organizations and people. Building this trust is at the center of the City of Portland Privacy and Information Protection Principles. The principles provide guidelines for protecting private and sensitive data managed by the City of Portland or those working on behalf of the City of Portland.
The privacy program aims to build the City of Portland infrastructure and capacity to protect Portlanders and visitors private and sensitive information. This program will contribute to the enhancement of digital rights and create robust public trust. This program is a collaboration between the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and the Office of Equity and Human Rights.
The privacy program was officially a directive included in the 2023 surveillance technologies policy. Privacy has been part of the City’s best practices since 2018 and is being championed by local community organizations and individuals interested in more personal information protection.
Program goals
The goals of this program include:
- Implement Privacy by Design and other privacy best practices with the City of Portland’s processes.
- Develop policies and procedures that implement privacy best practices.
- Provide digital literacy on privacy and information protection to City agencies and the local community.
- Contribute to the overall goal to implement digital rights in Portland.
The implementation of privacy comes from the recognition that privacy is a human right and modern information technology can create harm and risks to individuals and groups of people.