Consumers Union Calls For Changes To Privacy Draft

Consumers Union is calling on House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) to make several major changes to draft privacy legislation released earlier this month.

Boucher's draft was roundly criticized by privacy advocates who said it would codify the current notice and choice self regulatory system in place now, a point Consumers Union noted as well in a letter Monday to Chairman Boucher. "Although Consumers Union believes the bill to be an important step towards generating an extensive public conversation on online privacy, there are certain features of the proposal that cause us concern," Ellen Bloom, Consumers Union's director of federal policy, wrote. "First and foremost, the bill appears to exclusively rely on the notice and choice model, which has been shown to be particularly ineffective in protecting consumer privacy online." Consumers union also criticized provisions that would allow some third-party ad networks to abide by the measure's opt-out regime if they meet "minimal requirements." Bloom said Consumers Union believes "this loophole will permit an enormous percentage of data sale transactions to escape coverage." The group also criticized the draft for barring consumers from suing firms that violate their privacy, for lacking "meaningful security standards" for data breaches, and for pre-empting stronger state laws.