Online privacy

Privacy for America, a coalition of top advertising trade organizations and companies, released a comprehensive new framework for nationwide privacy legislation that would fundamentally change the way consumer privacy and security are protected in this country. The framework represents a new approach to data privacy that would not rely on the current ‘notice and choice’ model, which presents consumers with endless and complex privacy notices that they are essentially forced to accept if they want to participate in today’s economy.

After months of talks on bipartisan legislation, Senate Commerce Committee leaders have unveiled dueling privacy bills ahead of a hearing on Dec 4. But insiders believe the process might still yield a compromise both parties can embrace. Sen. Maria Cantwell's (D-WA) Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act would give the Federal Trade Commission greater enforcement authority and would allow consumers to enforce the law by bringing civil lawsuits. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) circulated his discussion draft, the United States Consumer Data Privacy Act; the bill would:

Tech has been given surprisingly little airtime during the 2020 Democratic primaries. It has rarely come up on the debate stage. While candidates such as Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Andrew Yang, and Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have made tech-related issues part of their platforms, the matter is often eclipsed by other political hot topics, including health care and taxes.

Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) unveiled comprehensive federal online privacy legislation to establish privacy rights, outlaw harmful and deceptive practices, and improve data security safeguards for the record number of American consumers who now shop or conduct business online. The Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act (COPRA) gives Americans control over their personal data; prohibits companies from using consumers’ data to harm or deceive them; establishes strict standards for the collection, use, sharing, and protection of consumer data; protects civil right

Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) led Sens Biran Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Amy Klobuarch (D-MN) in unveiling the Consumer Online Privacy Rights Act (COPRA), which proposes tough new punishments for Facebook, Google and other Silicon Valley tech giants that mishandle their users’ personal data. The sweeping new online privacy bill aims to provide people their “Miranda rights” for the digital age. Rights consumers would gain from COPRA include:

The week of Nov 18, Senate Democratic leaders released a set of privacy principles that help to frame the debate on federal privacy legislation. The substance of the principles is at high-level of generality but stakes some notable ground in the privacy debate:

• An emphasis on addressing how companies collect, use, and share personal data
• A shoutout for civil rights
• Strong enforcement at several levels
• A private right of action without federal preemption

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the web, has launched a global action plan to save the web from political manipulation, fake news, privacy violations and other malign forces that threaten to plunge the world into a “digital dystopia”. The Contract for the Web requires endorsing governments, companies and individuals to make concrete commitments to protect the web from abuse and ensure it benefits humanity. “If we leave the web as it is, there’s a very large number of things that will go wrong. We could end up with a digital dystopia if we don’t turn things around.

Congress has been promising federal privacy legislation for a year now and producing little more than a hodgepodge of conflicting piecemeal proposals. Now, at long last, one party’s leadership has stepped up to put the muscle of its caucus behind...a loose set of principles. Senate Democrats under Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) unveiled what is basically a wish list for a bill-to-be, supported by the ranking members of the four relevant committees.