Privacy

During the 2021 Utah General Legislative Session, the Legislature passed HB 243 which created several positions to oversee privacy practices within state government and within other Utah governmental entities. The Personal Privacy Oversight Commission (PPOC) and the State Privacy Officer, housed the Office of the State Auditor, and the Government Operations Privacy Officer, in the executive branch, are tasked in statute with focusing on government management and care of individual private information to minimize the risk to individual privacy.

State Privacy Officer

Table with plant, earphones, pencil and glasses surrounding cell phone with image of a lock and the word Secured

The State Privacy Officer focuses on the privacy practices of designated governmental entities, including cities, counties, school districts, higher education, and colleges and universities with the goal of improving the protection of the privacy of Utahns.

This focus includes responsibility to:

Analyze and report on government privacy practices
Provide educational and training materials
Identify privacy practices that pose the greatest risk to individual privacy and prioritize those privacy practices for review
Respond to requests from individuals to review a designated government entity’s privacy practice
Make privacy recommendations to the State Legislature

State Auditor, John Dougall has appointed the State Privacy Officer, Whitney A. Phillips, Ph.D.

For more information on the appointment of Dr. Phillips and the Assistant State Privacy Officer, Nora Kurzova, please see the State Privacy Officer Page .

To read the latest version of the State Privacy Highlights Newsletter go to the Privacy Highlights page.

To subscribe to the monthly State Privacy Highlights Newsletter, delivered to your inbox, visit http://eepurl.com/iwFowA.