Washington, D.C., April 11, 2022 – As thousands of privacy professionals, regulators, executives, and journalists gather at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit in Washington, D.C. this week to talk about the latest developments in privacy and data protection, Privacy for America reiterates its call for Congress to enact bipartisan, comprehensive data privacy legislation.
As American consumers and small businesses wait for Congress to act, they face a growing and confusing patchwork of state laws, burdensome obligations to manage their respective privacy interests, and efforts by regulators to combat bad actors and evolve regulations within the constraints of current law. The policy framework supported by Privacy for America would strengthen privacy protections for all Americans, significantly expand federal and state oversight of data practices, and create and fund a new data protection bureau at the Federal Trade Commission, among other provisions. Importantly, it would move beyond the burdensome “notice and choice” model to protect personal data by clearly defining and prohibiting practices that put personal data at risk or undermine accountability.
A comprehensive national data privacy law has never been more within reach. We note that there are significant areas of agreement in proposals advanced by members of both parties on the core principles to extend privacy protections for all Americans, while preserving the many benefits that accompany responsible data use.
Comprehensive federal data privacy legislation is also strongly supported by American voters. A recent survey from Privacy for America revealed that nearly all Americans surveyed (92%) believe it is important for Congress to pass new legislation to protect consumers’ personal data, and a majority (62%) favor federal regulation over individual state regulations. As the COVID-induced digital transformation of American life continues, 4-in-5 voters (81%) support a national standard that outright prohibits harmful ways of collecting, using and sharing personal data.
We look forward to continuing to work with members of both parties and the Biden Administration to make comprehensive data privacy legislation a reality in the United States. The time to act is now.