House and Senate leaders have issued a discussion draft of a bill that would establish a national framework to safeguard consumer data privacy and security.
The proposed American Data Privacy and Protection Act would grant protections to U.S. citizens against the discriminatory use of their data and direct covered entities to comply with loyalty duties with regard to specific practices while ensuring that consumers do not have to pay for privacy, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Friday.
Reps. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., chairman and ranking member of the House panel, respectively, released the discussion draft of the bill with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The proposed measure would require covered entities to allow consumers to deactivate targeted advertisements, offer improved data protections for children and minors, create regulatory parity across the internet and foster innovation and provide small businesses and startups the opportunity to grow and compete.
“This bill strikes a meaningful balance on issues that are critical to moving comprehensive data privacy legislation through Congress, including the development of a uniform, national data privacy framework, the creation of a robust set of consumers’ data privacy rights, and appropriate enforcement mechanisms,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
