Data privacy has been an issue long before the smart grid became a commonly used term. With so much of our lives spent online and stored in clouds, data privacy is certainly something to be concerned about. Technology is a wonderful thing, yet it creates more data that needs to be managed and protected. There is a lot of talk about smart meter privacy issues. The data available from smart meters offers a wealth of opportunities for energy management and energy efficiency. Many tend to forget that utilities have always had to safeguard confidential customer account information. The sheer volume of data will no doubt present challenges for the utilities; however, with the introduction of Green Button, customers should also be reminded to safeguard their privacy.

Staysafeonline.org is promoting January 28, 2012 as Data Privacy Day. It is a great way to remind all of us to be responsible with our personal information. Several governors have promoted privacy by declaring January 28 Data Privacy Day in their states: Arizona, California, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. These states each have offices dedicated to privacy and/or Chief Privacy Officers. While not technically a privacy office, New York’s Consumer Protection Board provides consumers and businesses numerous privacy resources. Attorney Generals from many states also offer consumer-oriented privacy information on their web pages and lead privacy initiatives within their states.

For a lighter read but probably just as important, to celebrate Data Privacy Day author Matt Ivester is giving out free copies of his book lol…OMG! What Every Student Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management, Digital Citizenship and Cyberbullying, from January 27 -30, 2012. I plan to download a copy and read it with my 8th grader. You might also want to check out the recent post by Christine Hertzog of the Smart Grid Library Blog. She provides a fun test called Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader About Your Electricity Data Privacy?

Here are some general privacy laws you might want to know about:

Happy Data Privacy Day!