Yesterday, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), supported by Google, Amazon, and Facebook, proposed ‘A Grand Bargain on Data Privacy Legislation for America’ along with the lawmakers. According to The Verge, the proposal states that “any new federal data privacy bill should preempt state privacy laws and repeal the sector-specific federal ones entirely.”
The proposal highlights a few basic characteristics such as requiring more transparency, data interoperability, and users to opt into the collection of sensitive personal data.
“All 50 states have their own laws when it comes to notifying users after a data breach, and ITIF asks for a single breach standard in order to simplify compliance. It also calls to expand the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to fine companies that violate the data privacy law, something industry leaders have asked for in the past”, the Verge reports.
The proposal would additionally preempt state laws like California’s new privacy act while revoking other federal privacy legislation laws, which include Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Alan McQuinn, the ITIF senior policy analyst, said, “Privacy regulations aren’t free—they create costs for consumers and businesses, and if done badly, they could undermine the thriving U.S. digital economy. Any data privacy regulations should create rules that facilitate data collection, use, and sharing while also empowering consumers to make informed choices about their data privacy”.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said, “This proposal would protect no one – it is only a grand bargain for the companies who regularly exploit consumer data for private gain and seek to evade transparency and accountability.” He also said that the proposal simply highlights the fact that Big tech cannot be trusted to write their own rules.
To know more about this in detail, visit The Verge.
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