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Rules Committee accepts amendments to privacy-first charter amendment and continues it to July 16
Summary
Supervisor Aaron Peskins privacy-first charter amendment, proposing 11 guiding privacy principles and a city administrator duty to propose implementing ordinance, was accepted with amendments by the Rules Committee and continued one week to July 16 to finalize language for the November ballot.
San Francisco The Rules Committee on July 9 accepted proposed changes to a charter amendment from Supervisor Aaron Peskin that would adopt a citywide "privacy-first" policy and directed staff to return with a finalordinance draft at the July 16 Rules meeting.
Peskin described the measure as a timely response to national privacy concerns and local questions about emerging mobility and data-collection technologies. The charter amendment sets out 11 nonbinding principles to guide city government and requires the city administrator to present an implementing ordinance to the Board of Supervisors within a year if the charter change is adopted by voters.
Key elements Peskin described include definitions of "personal information," a preference for de-identification and anonymization where possible, requirements to solicit informed consent for certain data uses, guidance on retention and security, and procedures for requests to disclose personal information held by the city. Peskin said the policy is intentionally broad to cover private third-party data practices when the city grants a license, contract or other benefit.
Public comment came from Peter Warfield of the Library Users Association, who said he supported strong privacy principles but raised procedural concerns about access to the draft amendment in the clerks office and asked for careful definitions (for example, how "personal information" is defined and how the measure would interact with the sunshine ordinance).
Committee members accepted the amendments Peskin presented without objection and continued the item for one week to ensure final language is available in the packet for the July 16 meeting and to meet the November ballot schedule.
What happens next: Staff and the city attorneys office will refine the draft and return the item to Rules on July 16 for final action and transmittal to the ballot schedule if approved.
