Generally Accepted Privacy Principles targets broader business audience.

In an effort to reach a broader business audience, the AICPA and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants recently published Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP)--a Global Privacy Framework. The release of GAPP is available in two versions, one for business and management and the other for CPAs in public practice who provide consulting and attestation services.

With most organizations facing challenges in managing privacy on a local, national or international level, businesses encounter a number of differing privacy laws and regulations whose requirements need to be embedded in the policies and procedures of the organization. GAPP was developed to help businesses address these challenges by referencing significant domestic and international privacy regulations.

The new GAPP expands on the framework to directly address marketplace trends, such as outsourcing and the growing international focus on privacy. It also includes a new section that provides step-by-step guidance on how businesses and other entities can use the document.

In tracking the impact of the AICPA/CICA 2003 Privacy Framework document, the AICPA and CICA found the framework has become widely accepted and used. Examples include:

* As the basis for independent privacy audits by several large organizations.

* By commercial entities in developing products and services.

* By businesses as a benchmark in creating internal privacy practices.

Several organizations worked in conjunction with the AICPA and CICA on the GAPP, including ISACA and the Institute of Internal Auditors. A downloadable version of GAPP, along with additional information about the development and additional privacy resources, can be found at:

[email] www.aicpa.org/privacy and

[email] www.cica.ca/privacy