Page 2 - TIPJar Winter 2018

Editor’s Note

BY PENELOPE R. GLOVER

o citizens care about priva- user and a guardian of the pub- best practices on information
cy anymore? If they don’t, lic and its data. Public agencies privacy and security to help public
Dmust our public agencies like fire departments, cities and agencies navigate these emerging
nonetheless protect it? These are schools must balance the expecta- opportunities and challenges. As
questions with answers compli- tion that they invest in technology always, if you have questions or
cated by the accepted expansion that saves lives, decreases crime, need assistance with a legal issue
of technology into our personal and enhances learning with their involving technology, feel free to
lives and institutions. Even so, various legal obligations. In using get in touch. 
most of us maintain some privacy technology to identify threats
boundaries. We don’t want our to public safety, for instance, Penelope R. Glover is Senior Counsel
data hacked or our identity stolen, public agencies must respect our in Lozano Smith’s Walnut Creek office
and some of us don’t want to be constitutional “right to privacy” and chair of the firm’s Technology &
tracked, monitored, or subjected which protects citizens from Innovation Practice Group.
to targeted marketing. Yet, when governmental intrusion. But the pglover@lozanosmith.com
we download apps, post to social government’s obligations extend
media, and use our Internet of beyond this right to privacy. Pub-
Things (IoT) devices, we effec- lic agencies must often collect, but
tively loosen our privacy bound- not compromise, data about the
aries in the interest of efficiency, public. They also must protect the
convenience and connectedness. public from those whose zeal for
When we operate drones and technology may endanger or vio-
enable our surveillance systems, late the privacy rights of others.
we effectively loosen the privacy
boundaries of others too. In this issue of the TIP Jar, we dis-
cuss how public agencies must not
When it comes to the govern- only respect privacy, but protect
ment’s use of technology and data, it, as they consider technologies
the boundaries are tighter and like drones, surveillance cameras,
the expectations are higher. The and education technology. Lozano
government is both a technology Smith is compiling resources and

TIPJar - Winter 2018 2