This month, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) announced an unusual feat of government. It’s a bipartisan bill that leaves lawmakers feeling “optimistic” and “optimistic.”spirit”
it is American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) And it’s been a long time coming. The United States lags far behind the rest of the world when it comes to privacy laws. 137 out of 194 worldwide According to the United Nations, each country has national privacy laws.we G-20 outliers without one. This is not the kind of “exceptionalism” Americans should aspire to.
This is a proposal.Make privacy a consumer right” and “giving consumers the ability to exercise their rights” comes at a pivotal moment. On April 20th, President Biden signed the bill Reauthorizes the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This law is a means to protect national security from foreign targets; Web and mobile data Hundreds of thousands of Americans history of abuse by intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, a new law forcing the sale or ban of TikTok, aimed at preventing foreign countries from accessing Americans’ data, offers only limited protections.
Congress is under tremendous pressure to address the rise of AI, combat surveillance capitalism, and reduce the serious harm caused by tech companies. for children and teens. Other federal privacy proposals have failed in a gridlocked Congress. APRA is led by the chairs of the House and Senate Commerce Committees; first Gain significant bipartisanship and bicameralism support.
It is clear that this bill is urgently needed. Technology companies are not the only culprits abusing our data. In March, General Motors was embroiled in a scandal after the sharing was discovered. Data about customer driving behavior Transact with insurance companies through data brokers. Data brokers are often large multi-billion dollar companies that exist to buy, sell, and resell our data.
This applies to some The appeal of APRA: It’s surprisingly spacious. This includes the private sector, non-profit organizations, and telecommunications providers, including technology companies and other companies that handle our data, as well as medium and large organizations. and proposes additional restrictions on data brokers.
To minimize data sharing, the law prohibits companies and organizations from collecting data that is not appropriate. “Necessary” or “appropriate”? Depending on the purpose for which the data is collected. Transparency will require companies to disclose the data they hold about you and give you explicit permission to edit or delete it. It would also require companies to allow consumers to opt out of targeted advertising and data collection by brokers. And finally, this law makes it possible to sue businesses and organizations. seek monetary damages For violating your privacy rights.
The bill faces some significant criticism, including from major privacy advocacy groups and organizations.Posted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation raised the issue The bill would “preempt existing state laws and prevent states from creating stronger protections in the future,” and warned that the terms would “freeze consumer data privacy protections.” Caitriona Fitzgerald, Deputy Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said: warned Preemptive laws should be stronger than existing state laws, but APRA currently does not, she suggested.
A post from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, for example, argued that the bill “needs to be limited.” sharing with government and expand the definition of sensitive data. ” And Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D.N.J.), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said: bill said “It could be more powerful in certain areas, such as children’s privacy.”
These criticisms are valid, but not enough to derail the proposal. Consider California among them. Strongest state privacy lawsbut technology giants such as meta and GooglePeople based here are still accused of some of the most egregious privacy violations. Strong, universal federal laws are needed to curb them. It would also be more effective than the current byzantine patchwork of state laws.
And APRA can be strengthened over time.it is Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, passed in 1998 to protect children under the age of 13. In 2013, this law was expanded and updated. by the Federal Trade Commission Reflects evolving technologies such as mobile devices. Additionally, the definition of “personal information” has been expanded to include geolocation data, photos, videos, children’s audio, and more. If passed, APRA could similarly serve as a foundation for future improvements.
Eventually, it could be reinforced with significant guardrails, such as those built into buildings. UK online safety law. Depending on the severity of the violation, executives face prison terms and fines of up to $22 million or 10% of the company’s gross revenue, whichever is greater.These tough penalties will help stop tech giants’ routine trends ignore privacy laws You just pay the fine as a cost of doing business.
The bill could be further strengthened by review by committees in both the House and Senate. Our government should not waste this moment of transition to establish the foundation of privacy rights for all Americans.
mark weinstein He is a technology entrepreneur, privacy expert, and author of a forthcoming book.Regain your sanity online.”
