TRUSTe Named First Accountability Agent for APEC Cross

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 25, 2013) - TRUSTe, the leading global data privacy management company, today announced that it is the first approved Accountability Agent for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) System. The APEC CBPR System is a self-regulatory initiative that addresses cross border data flows between the United States and other APEC Member Economies, through voluntary and enforceable codes of conduct adopted by participating businesses.

U.S. Acting Secretary of Commerce Cameron Kerry congratulated TRUSTe on becoming the first accountability agent to be endorsed to participate in the APEC Cross Border Privacy Rules system.

"This is a critical first step in implementing a groundbreaking new system which will facilitate data flows and support trade throughout the APEC region," said Kerry. "It also represents a concrete example of how we are implementing the Administration's Privacy Blueprint to further interoperability of privacy frameworks all over the world. We look forward to seeing more accountability agents join the APEC CBPR system, and to realizing fully all the benefits that this initiative will bring in the near future."

The U.S. was the first of the 21 APEC Member Economies to be named as an approved participant in the APEC CBPR System, and the Federal Trade Commission is the system's first enforcement authority. As an Accountability Agent, TRUSTe will review, certify, monitor and enforce the privacy practices of participating companies to ensure compliance with the CBPR System program requirements.

"TRUSTe is committed to powering trust in the data economy," said Chris Babel, CEO of TRUSTe. "As the first Accountability Agent for the APEC Cross Border Privacy Rules System, we continue to support frameworks that help our clients meet their global business needs, while ensuring that the consumer's personal information has appropriate privacy protections during cross border transfers."

This important development will allow companies to extend their international businesses. TRUSTe has been part of the APEC - CBPR process for the last several years, working alongside existing clients such as IBM and Oracle -- who have endorsed the TRUSTe APEC certification program www.truste.com/apec .

"The ability to protect personal data privacy during border transfers is critically important to global businesses," said IBM Chief Privacy Officer, Christina Peters. "The APEC Cross Border Privacy Rules mark the cornerstone of a system that will enable data to flow across different regions with strong and trust-building privacy protections. IBM recognizes the importance of this system and plans to participate in the Accountability Agent program with TRUSTe."

"Oracle has participated in the process of developing the APEC Privacy Framework as well as the subsequent work on Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPRs) and now on interoperability," said Joseph Alhadeff, Chief Privacy Officer at Oracle Corporation. "We consider TRUSTe's recognition as the first certified accountability agent to be an important milestone in making the implementation of CBPRs a reality."

For more information about the TRUSTe APEC Certification program, please visit www.truste.com/apec .

About TRUSTe TRUSTe, the leading global provider of data privacy management solutions, powers trust in the data economy by enabling businesses to safely collect and use customer data across all channels -- websites, mobile apps, cloud services, and advertising. Our cloud-based Privacy Management Platform delivers privacy assessments & certifications along with innovative technology products, including website monitoring and advertising compliance controls for desktop and mobile ads. More than 5,000 companies worldwide rely on TRUSTe and our globally recognized Certified Privacy Seal to build trust, drive engagement and ensure compliance. For more information, please visit www.truste.com .