SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A pair of House Democrats introduced a bill Tuesday that one expert called "a significant milestone as lawmakers around the world take critical aim at the surveillance-based economics that now dominate the Internet." (Image: Shutterstock)
Democrats' New Online Privacy Bill Heralded as Chance to Build 'Alternative Road to a Digital Future'
"This legislation is a game-changer," says Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff, whose latest book warns of "surveillance capitalism."
Nov 04, 2019
Backed by progressive privacy advocates, a pair of California House Democrats who represent Silicon Valley introduced sweeping legislation on Tuesday that aims to strengthen online user protections and increase accountability for major technology companies--in part by creating a new federal agency.
"Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
--Rep. Anna Eshoo
The Online Privacy Act of 2019, H.R. 4978 (pdf), is sponsored by Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren.
"Our country urgently needs a legal framework to protect consumers from the ever-growing data-collection and data-sharing industries that make billions annually off Americans' personal information," said Lofgren. "The Online Privacy Act creates a robust framework that balances the actual needs of businesses with fair privacy rights and expectations for users."
The new legislation is now ranked #1 by Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) among all the privacy bills currently pending in Congress.
"The bill by Reps. Eshoo and Lofgren sets out strong rights for Internet users, promotes innovation, and establishes a Data Protection Agency," said EPIC policy director Caitriona Fitzgerald. "This is the bill that Congress should enact."
Specifically, as a joint statement from the congresswomen detailed, the bill "protects individuals, encourages innovation, and restores trust in technology companies" by doing the following:
- Creating User Rights - The bill grants every American the right to access, correct, or delete their data. It also creates new rights, like the right to impermanence, which lets users decide how long companies can keep their data.
- Placing Clear Obligations on Companies - The bill minimizes the amount of data companies collect, process, disclose, and maintain, and bars companies from using data in discriminatory ways. Additionally, companies must receive consent from users in plain, simple language.
- Establishing a Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) - The bill establishes an independent agency led by a director that's appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term. The DPA will enforce privacy protections and investigate abuses.
- Strengthening Enforcement - The bill empowers state attorneys general to enforce violations of the bill and allows individuals to appoint nonprofits to represent them in private class action lawsuits.
"Every American is vulnerable to privacy violations with few tools to defend themselves," said Eshoo. "Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
According to a fact sheet (pdf) from the sponsors, the bill also includes protections for journalists and creates an Open Source Machine Learning Training Data Grant Program.
"This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
--Shoshana Zuboff, professor and author
Shoshana Zuboff, professor emerita at Harvard Business School and author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, welcomed Eshoo and Lofgren's proposal, calling it "a significant milestone as lawmakers around the world take critical aim at the surveillance-based economics that now dominate the Internet."
"This legislation is a game-changer in several key ways," Zuboff said in the lawmakers' statement. "First, it reframes the privacy debate from the notoriously flawed regime of 'notice and consent' to the human rights of users."
"Also, the act establishes a long overdue Digital Privacy Agency with important new investigatory, legal, and law enforcement powers," she explained. "This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
Free Press Action senior policy counsel Gaurav Laroia declared Tuesday that the bill "marks a major moment in the ongoing legislative debate around consumer privacy."
"Misuses of private information chill free expression, cause reputational harms, inflict harmful price discrimination, and create other adverse impacts to people's civil rights," Laroia added in a statement. "Many of these data practices have disproportionate impacts on people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups."
"It's far past time," Laroia concluded, "for the United States to adopt privacy regulations that protect people's rights and give individuals--not corporations--control over how personal data is used."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Backed by progressive privacy advocates, a pair of California House Democrats who represent Silicon Valley introduced sweeping legislation on Tuesday that aims to strengthen online user protections and increase accountability for major technology companies--in part by creating a new federal agency.
"Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
--Rep. Anna Eshoo
The Online Privacy Act of 2019, H.R. 4978 (pdf), is sponsored by Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren.
"Our country urgently needs a legal framework to protect consumers from the ever-growing data-collection and data-sharing industries that make billions annually off Americans' personal information," said Lofgren. "The Online Privacy Act creates a robust framework that balances the actual needs of businesses with fair privacy rights and expectations for users."
The new legislation is now ranked #1 by Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) among all the privacy bills currently pending in Congress.
"The bill by Reps. Eshoo and Lofgren sets out strong rights for Internet users, promotes innovation, and establishes a Data Protection Agency," said EPIC policy director Caitriona Fitzgerald. "This is the bill that Congress should enact."
Specifically, as a joint statement from the congresswomen detailed, the bill "protects individuals, encourages innovation, and restores trust in technology companies" by doing the following:
- Creating User Rights - The bill grants every American the right to access, correct, or delete their data. It also creates new rights, like the right to impermanence, which lets users decide how long companies can keep their data.
- Placing Clear Obligations on Companies - The bill minimizes the amount of data companies collect, process, disclose, and maintain, and bars companies from using data in discriminatory ways. Additionally, companies must receive consent from users in plain, simple language.
- Establishing a Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) - The bill establishes an independent agency led by a director that's appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term. The DPA will enforce privacy protections and investigate abuses.
- Strengthening Enforcement - The bill empowers state attorneys general to enforce violations of the bill and allows individuals to appoint nonprofits to represent them in private class action lawsuits.
"Every American is vulnerable to privacy violations with few tools to defend themselves," said Eshoo. "Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
According to a fact sheet (pdf) from the sponsors, the bill also includes protections for journalists and creates an Open Source Machine Learning Training Data Grant Program.
"This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
--Shoshana Zuboff, professor and author
Shoshana Zuboff, professor emerita at Harvard Business School and author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, welcomed Eshoo and Lofgren's proposal, calling it "a significant milestone as lawmakers around the world take critical aim at the surveillance-based economics that now dominate the Internet."
"This legislation is a game-changer in several key ways," Zuboff said in the lawmakers' statement. "First, it reframes the privacy debate from the notoriously flawed regime of 'notice and consent' to the human rights of users."
"Also, the act establishes a long overdue Digital Privacy Agency with important new investigatory, legal, and law enforcement powers," she explained. "This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
Free Press Action senior policy counsel Gaurav Laroia declared Tuesday that the bill "marks a major moment in the ongoing legislative debate around consumer privacy."
"Misuses of private information chill free expression, cause reputational harms, inflict harmful price discrimination, and create other adverse impacts to people's civil rights," Laroia added in a statement. "Many of these data practices have disproportionate impacts on people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups."
"It's far past time," Laroia concluded, "for the United States to adopt privacy regulations that protect people's rights and give individuals--not corporations--control over how personal data is used."
Backed by progressive privacy advocates, a pair of California House Democrats who represent Silicon Valley introduced sweeping legislation on Tuesday that aims to strengthen online user protections and increase accountability for major technology companies--in part by creating a new federal agency.
"Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
--Rep. Anna Eshoo
The Online Privacy Act of 2019, H.R. 4978 (pdf), is sponsored by Reps. Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren.
"Our country urgently needs a legal framework to protect consumers from the ever-growing data-collection and data-sharing industries that make billions annually off Americans' personal information," said Lofgren. "The Online Privacy Act creates a robust framework that balances the actual needs of businesses with fair privacy rights and expectations for users."
The new legislation is now ranked #1 by Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) among all the privacy bills currently pending in Congress.
"The bill by Reps. Eshoo and Lofgren sets out strong rights for Internet users, promotes innovation, and establishes a Data Protection Agency," said EPIC policy director Caitriona Fitzgerald. "This is the bill that Congress should enact."
Specifically, as a joint statement from the congresswomen detailed, the bill "protects individuals, encourages innovation, and restores trust in technology companies" by doing the following:
- Creating User Rights - The bill grants every American the right to access, correct, or delete their data. It also creates new rights, like the right to impermanence, which lets users decide how long companies can keep their data.
- Placing Clear Obligations on Companies - The bill minimizes the amount of data companies collect, process, disclose, and maintain, and bars companies from using data in discriminatory ways. Additionally, companies must receive consent from users in plain, simple language.
- Establishing a Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) - The bill establishes an independent agency led by a director that's appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term. The DPA will enforce privacy protections and investigate abuses.
- Strengthening Enforcement - The bill empowers state attorneys general to enforce violations of the bill and allows individuals to appoint nonprofits to represent them in private class action lawsuits.
"Every American is vulnerable to privacy violations with few tools to defend themselves," said Eshoo. "Our legislation ensures that every American has control over their own data, companies are held accountable, and the government provides tough but fair oversight."
According to a fact sheet (pdf) from the sponsors, the bill also includes protections for journalists and creates an Open Source Machine Learning Training Data Grant Program.
"This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
--Shoshana Zuboff, professor and author
Shoshana Zuboff, professor emerita at Harvard Business School and author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, welcomed Eshoo and Lofgren's proposal, calling it "a significant milestone as lawmakers around the world take critical aim at the surveillance-based economics that now dominate the Internet."
"This legislation is a game-changer in several key ways," Zuboff said in the lawmakers' statement. "First, it reframes the privacy debate from the notoriously flawed regime of 'notice and consent' to the human rights of users."
"Also, the act establishes a long overdue Digital Privacy Agency with important new investigatory, legal, and law enforcement powers," she explained. "This legislation helps to define a new era in our nation and around the world as citizens seek an alternative road to a digital future, one that is compatible with the rights of individuals and the aspirations of a democratic society."
Free Press Action senior policy counsel Gaurav Laroia declared Tuesday that the bill "marks a major moment in the ongoing legislative debate around consumer privacy."
"Misuses of private information chill free expression, cause reputational harms, inflict harmful price discrimination, and create other adverse impacts to people's civil rights," Laroia added in a statement. "Many of these data practices have disproportionate impacts on people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups."
"It's far past time," Laroia concluded, "for the United States to adopt privacy regulations that protect people's rights and give individuals--not corporations--control over how personal data is used."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.