House Passes the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act

The House of Representatives passed the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act, 354 to 36. Privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) are a broad range of technologies that allow organizations to collect, share, and use data while mitigating the privacy risks that arise from those activities. This legislation, introduced by Rep Haley Stevens (D-MI) and co-led by Rep Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), empowers the National Science Foundation to pursue fundamental research to mitigate individuals’ privacy risks in data sets, including those used in AI modeling, while maintaining fairness, accuracy, and efficiency. The bill supports research, workforce development, standard setting, and government coordination for the development of PETs.