Facebook apologies aren't enough. The whole Internet needs a privacy overhaul.

[Commentary] Our current privacy framework no longer works. While the hearings this month offered little in terms of solutions, they did put a spotlight on a problem that’s been glaringly obvious for years: Consumers have little control over their data online. We need a privacy framework that gives consumers control over their own data. Companies across the board must be required to get express consent from their users prior to sharing their data. At the outset, consumers should be asked to respond to a simple statement that they do or do not want their personal data shared.  And this choice should appear before those ridiculous terms of service agreements that few people read and almost none could understand even if they did read them.  Companies should also provide clear notice about what data they are collecting and how it will be used. Congress should look to elements of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation that include strong opt-in requirements as a guiding principle.  For years, companies have failed to adequately protect our personal data, and our weak privacy laws have paved the way for this to happen. It’s high time to put consumer privacy ahead of corporate greed.

[Michael Copps served as a commissioner on the FCC from May 2001 to December 2011 and is a special adviser for Common Cause. He also contributes original writing to the Benton Foundation.]