Sen Wyden's prospects for the 177th Congress: Privacy, Section 230, and Broadband
January 28, 2021
In an interview with Politico, Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) describe his plans for the 117th Congress. Some highlights:
- Sen Wyden said he’s planning to introduce a so-called “not for sale” privacy proposal. The legislation, set to be introduced in the coming weeks, would prevent law enforcement agencies from running around the Fourth Amendment by obtaining consumers’ personal data from brokers without a warrant or court order.
- He has a two-step test for any Section 230 bill: “Any changes [to Section 230] shouldn't target constitutionally protected speech, and they shouldn't discourage moderation,” he said. “The bills I've seen so far violate one or both of those things.”
- A broadband bombardment: Wyden, who is expected to chair the Senate Finance Committee, said he’ll be pressing hard to expand internet access. “Congress has basically got to set out a lodestar that broadband on our watch is going to come to be like electrification was decades ago,” he said. “Every single infrastructure bill should have a significant broadband component."
Sen. Ron Wyden’s prospects for the 117th Congress