On 13 April 2023, the Human Technology Institute hosted Julie Brill at UTS as our special guest for a roundtable discussion to explore important current issues regarding privacy, safety, security and human rights in the responsible design, use and regulation of technology.
Formerly US Trade Commissioner, Julie Brill is now the Chief Privacy Officer and Corporate Vice President Global Privacy and Regulatory Affairs at Microsoft, based in Redmond, USA.
Building on her distinguished public service career spanning more than three decades at the federal and state level, Ms Brill directs Microsoft’s Privacy, Digital Safety, Law Enforcement and National Security (LENS) and Telecom, Standards, Accessibility regulation, and Regulatory Governance operations and solutions. In 2018, she spearheaded Microsoft’s global adoption of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and continues to lead Microsoft’s advocacy around responsible approaches to privacy, data protection and global data flows around the world.
Prior to her role at Microsoft, Brill was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed unanimously by the US Senate. Brill served for six years as a Commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). As Commissioner, she worked actively on issues of critical importance to consumers, including privacy, fair advertising practices, fighting financial fraud, and maintaining competition in all industries, with a special focus on health care and technology.
Last week’s roundtable event involved representatives from government, civil society, industry groups and the legal sector.
Led by HTI Co-Directors, Professors Edward Santow and Nicholas Davis, the group discussed Australia’s approach to policy and law for new technologies and considered what good regulation looks like. Other major points covered included some major government-led initiatives on digital identity. The group also discussed how government should respond to the rise of generative AI.