City of Seattle launches digital privacy initiative The collection of data occurs in every day City processes, such as paying a utility bill, renewing a pet license, browsing a web page, or signing up for an email list.Police, fire and emergency services collect different forms of video and electronic data.The increasing complexity of emerging technologies, business systems and laws mean the City must take appropriate steps to facilitate the collection, use, and disposal of data in a manner that balances the needs of the City to conduct its business with individual privacy, in a manner that builds public trust.The City expects to deliver a completed privacy statement and plan for implementation to Council by June 2015.City partners with University of Washington on privacy research This funding, $50,000, was awarded through a request for proposal from the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology on the exploration of implications of government release of large datasets.