Jessica Rich is one of the nation’s leading experts on privacy and consumer protection, with years of experience drawn from government service, consumer advocacy, and private practice. Notably, Rich served as Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection from 2013 to 2017, where she led hundreds of attorneys and investigators in the mission to protect consumers from deceptive and unfair practices in the commercial marketplace. Following her departure from the FTC, Rich served as Vice President of Advocacy for Consumer Reports from 2017-2018, where she led the nonprofit’s consumer advocacy and mobilization efforts. Rich started her career in private practice in New York City, and is a graduate of New York University Law School and Harvard University. Rich now provides independent consulting on a variety of consumer protection and privacy issues.
Nearly all major privacy laws and regulations – from the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to the European General Directive for Privacy Regulation – include express data security requirements. Yet, some members of Congress and other commentators have suggested that security provisions will only serve to make privacy legislation more difficult to pass while others suggest that they can’t vote for a bill without security. What type of security is being discussed in these bills and how will they affect consumers?
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Head of Operations
National Cyber Security Center of the Netherlands
Staff Software Engineer
Director, Technology and International Affairs Program
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
Department of Justice (retired)
