Lawmaker Invites Internet Users to Craft Privacy Legislation

Congress got the message. Don't mess with new Internet laws without involving the Internet community unless you want a repeat of the great Internet blackout in January over SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. Keeping that lesson in mind, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), a member of the House Judiciary Committee that eventually killed SOPA, launched a Web-based project to enlist Internet users in crafting legislation to protect consumer privacy on mobile devices. Equally telling, he launched AppRights.us on Reddit, one of the leaders of the Internet blackout. "Congress has tried to shove Internet-related legislation down the public's throat, and we've failed," Rep Johnson said. "There's an emerging consensus that the law should protect Americans' rights when we share our data with apps and app developers. How that law should be written is a question for the American people. Let's have an open conversation about it." Consumers can submit their ideas on the website, or via Twitter (@AppRightsUS) and Facebook.