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Maureen Cooney is the Chief of Staff and Director of International Privacy Policy with the Privacy Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Privacy Office is responsible for privacy compliance across the Department, which includes assuring that the technologies used by the Department to protect the United States sustain, and do not erode, privacy protections relating to the use, collection, and disclosure of personal and Department information. The Privacy Office also has oversight of all privacy policy matters, including compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (as amended) , and the completion of Privacy Impact Assessments on all new programs, as required by the E-Government Act of 2002 and Section 222 of the Homeland Security Act. The Privacy Office also evaluates legislative and regulatory proposals involving collection, use, and disclosure of personal and Department information by the Federal Government. The Privacy Office also engages in outreach and discussion on privacy matters that are relevant to the homeland security mission.
As the Chief of Staff for the Privacy Office, Cooney is responsible for assisting the Chief Privacy Officer in developing and representing DHS Privacy Office policies, programs, and goals. Ms. Cooney assists the CPO with privacy compliance oversight and with overall Privacy Office management. Ms. Cooney represents the Privacy Office both internally and externally, liaising with other federal agencies on privacy policy and federal implementation of privacy laws and regulations.
Ms. Cooney's responsibilities as the Director of International Privacy Policy include international policy development and counseling on international privacy law and policies. Cooney monitors DHS activities for international privacy impact and compliance with international arrangements, such as the U.S. - EU Passenger Name Record Undertakings and Agreement. As part of her duties, Cooney represents the interests of the United States at international meetings, including the International Conference of Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners and multilateral organizations. She meets with representatives of foreign governments and data protection offices and commissions and reviews international inquiries and matters that concern DHS activities.
Before joining the Privacy Office in January 2004, Cooney worked on international privacy and security issues as Legal Advisor for International Consumer Protection at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from 2001 to 2004. In that capacity she also served as a principal liaison for the FTC to the European Commission and Article 29 Working Party on privacy issues, including implementation of the U.S-EU Safe Harbor Framework. Ms. Cooney played a primary role on the U.S. delegation to the Experts Group and Working Party on Information Security and Privacy (WPISP) on the post- September 11, 2001, rewrite of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Security Guidelines for Information Systems and Networks. In addition to serving as a U.S. Delegate to the OECD WPISP, Cooney has participated as a principal USG representative in the privacy work of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's E-Commerce Steering Group, including in a leading role in the development of APEC Privacy Principles for electronic commerce.
Ms. Cooney's legal career also includes broad experience with financial services and enforcement issues, including international work on anti-money laundering and foreign compliance issues, information sharing, and privacy and security matters. She served as counsel in bureaus of the Treasury Department for 15 years. Ms. Cooney served as Acting Counselor for International Activities for the Division of the Counselor for International Activities at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury during 2001.
Ms. Cooney received her A.B. degree from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
July 2004