Privacy Advisory Commission

The Privacy Advisory Commission provides advice to the City of Oakland on best practices to protect Oaklanders' privacy rights in connection with the City's purchase and use of surveillance equipment and other technology that collects or stores our data.

About

In March 2014, the City Council established an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee to develop a Privacy and Data Retention Policy for the Domain Awareness Center (DAC), a City-Port security project located at the Emergency Operations Center.

This Committee developed a Policy for the DAC and proposed a set of additional recommendations for the City Council to consider. One of the key recommendations that the City Council considered and adopted was the Creation of a Permanent Standing Privacy Advisory Commission to develop and advise on citywide privacy concerns.

Board duties include:

  • Provide advice and technical assistance to the City of Oakland on best practices to protect citizen privacy rights in connection with the City’s purchase and use of surveillance equipment and other technology that collects or stores citizen data.
  • Draft for City Council consideration, model legislation relevant to privacy and data protection, including a Surveillance Equipment Usage Ordinance.
  • Submit annual reports and recommendations to the City Council regarding: (1) the City’s use of surveillance equipment, and (2) whether new City surveillance equipment privacy and data retention policies should be developed or such existing policies be amended.
  • Provide analyses to the City Council of pending federal, state and local legislation relevant to the City’s purchase and/or use of technology that collects, stores, transmits, handles or processes citizen data.
  • Conduct public hearings, make reports, findings and recommendations either to the City Administrator or the City Council, as appropriate including an annual report to be presented in writing to the City Council.
  • Review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding any proposed changes to the operations of the Domain Awareness Center (“DAC”) and/or proposed changes to the City’s Policy for Privacy and Data Retention for the Port Domain Awareness Center (“DAC Policy”) as specified in Resolution 85638 C.M.S.

Meetings are held on the 1st Thursday of each month from 5:00 - 7:00PM in City Hall, Hearing Room 1

Contact Us

Phone Numbers

Email Address