U.S. Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Data Privacy Law

U.S. Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Data Privacy Law

OAN's Elizabeth Volberding

3:32 PM – Sunday, April 7, 2024

Bipartisan data privacy legislation, which would limit consumer data that internet companies may gather and offer Americans the ability to forbid the sale of personal information or order its deletion, has been reached by two influential lawmakers, according to aides.

On Sunday, two key United States congressmen said that they reached a consensus on a draft bipartisan data privacy bill that would limit the amount of consumer data that internet companies can collect and give citizens the authority to stop the sale of personal data or demand its deletion.

The agreement would give people control over how their personal information is used and mandate disclosure if data has been transferred to foreign adversaries. 

The deal was reached by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who chairs the Commerce Committee, and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash), Republican chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Congress has been contemplating internet privacy rules since at least 2019, but they haven't been able to come to an agreement due to worries about how social media giants like Facebook, owned by Meta, Google, owned by Alphabet, and TikTok, owned by ByteDance, utilize user data.

The lawmakers said in a joint statement that the plan grants state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission broad control to supervise consumer privacy issues and to set up "robust enforcement mechanisms to hold violators accountable, including a private right of action for individuals."

"This bipartisan, bicameral draft legislation is the best opportunity we've had in decades to establish a national data privacy and security standard that gives people the right to control their personal information," the statement added.

According to the lawmakers, it is the result of years of work in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

"It strikes a meaningful balance on issues that are critical to moving comprehensive data privacy legislation through Congress," the lawmakers stated.

When a business changes its privacy policy, the proposal would let individuals choose not to have their data processed. It calls for "affirmative express consent before sensitive data can be transferred to a third party."

According to the statement, consumers would be able to prevent "companies from using people's personal information to discriminate against them" and could sue "bad actors who violate their privacy rights – and recover money for damages when they've been harmed."

Additionally, the bill would mandate "annual reviews of algorithms to ensure they do not put individuals, including our youth, at risk of harm, including discrimination."

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(*) https://www.oann.com/newsroom/u-s-lawmakers-reach-agreement-on-data-privacy-law/