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Leaving consumers and businesses behind without the protections they need to thrive It’s no secret that Congress has been slow to act on data privacy. Though there have been recent encouraging signs that show it’s a continued priority for some – including Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), chair … [Read more...] about A Most Problematic Patchwork

Meeting the moment with a federal data privacy law that prohibits using data to discriminate against individuals Over the last year, Americans have come to expect policymakers to do more to prevent discrimination against minority and underserved communities in the United States. A 2020 AP-NORC poll … [Read more...] about How Equity and Privacy Go Hand-in-Hand

How the pandemic response underscores the need for new privacy laws that meet post-COVID demands In March 2020, no one could have predicted just how much the COVID-19 pandemic was going to affect American society. Stay-at-home orders and business closures completely changed the way Americans … [Read more...] about New Data Protections for The New Normal

They even have apps for it. This past October, the FTC brought its first case against developers of “stalking” apps, barring Retina-X Studios from selling apps that monitor consumers’ mobile devices. The company developed and sold MobileSpy, PhoneSheriff, and TeenShield—all apps that were marketed … [Read more...] about Stalkers Love Insecure Data

In an op-ed for The Hill this week, Jim Nussle, the president and CEO of the Credit Union National Association, writes that—in an age in which Americans have gotten used to sharing their data for activities online like shopping, home assistants and social media—there should be a strong national law … [Read more...] about Credit Union National Association’s Jim Nussle: “Congress Must Act Now to Secure Americans’ Data”

The responsible use of data has brought countless benefits to consumers and businesses – not to mention entire U.S. and global economy. We can access the latest deals and products from our favorite online stores, stream news on the Internet, stay connected with friends on social media, and a whole … [Read more...] about How Using Data Responsibly Helps Consumers and Businesses

If you think HIPAA means your health data is completely protected, think again The United States has a long history of passing laws to protect consumers and their personal information. The Fair Credit Reporting Act was passed in 1970 to ensure fairness, accuracy and privacy for personal consumer … [Read more...] about Filling in the Gaps on Privacy

Brookings’ Cameron Kerry has a new report out, “Protecting privacy in an AI-driven world,” that evaluates how artificial intelligence fits into broader considerations about consumer privacy. “[P]rotecting such privacy interests in the context of AI,” Kerry writes, “will require a change in the … [Read more...] about Brookings’ Cameron Kerry on protecting privacy in the AI era

For all the debate over the last year on how to craft a new privacy law, there’s one point nearly everyone agrees on: We need a stronger cop on the beat. Consumers deserve a data regulator with the proper authority, resources, and staff. Such oversight has probably never been more necessary, given … [Read more...] about The Case for an FTC Data Protection Bureau

Data personalization, or the use of data to infer or predict a consumer’s behavior, characteristics or interests, has made the internet browsing and shopping experience seamless. It serves advertisements and content to consumers based on inferences about their preferences, and immediately connects … [Read more...] about Preventing the misuse of personal data for discriminatory pricing