Executives at Facebook, Apple and other technology companies are standing behind their privacy practices, saying that there is a greater need for public education, according to The Wall Street Journal.
At the CES in Las Vegas on Jan. 7 privacy experts from these companies discussed the importance of educating consumers while also protecting their information. For many of these companies, it is challenging to communicate with consumers about what information is being collected and how that information is being used.
"The amount of information that you have to process to figure out what is happening with your data is untenable for most people," said Rebecca Slaughter, an FTC commissioner, at the conference, according to WSJ. "I'm a relatively well-educated person who specializes in privacy, and I can't possibly figure out all the things that are being done with all of my data across different services."
Along with educating consumers on privacy practices, the executives discussed how they can better safeguard user data. The idea of encryption was a common talking point. However, encryption may not be a silver bullet. While these companies are making strides to protect consumer information, there is still a lot more that needs to be done.