For those interested in the growing momentum around broader US data privacy protections, I wanted to flag a recent Senate hearing on “Examining Safeguards for Consumer Data Privacy.” On Wednesday, September 26, 2018 the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation met to examine consumer protection and privacy policies of top technology and communications firms.

Representatives from those firms were present, but no consumer interest groups or data brokers were in attendance to represent people and industries outside of the largest consumer known technology companies.

Interestingly, all participants favored:

• A national law;
• All Americans having the same privacy protections as Californians will enjoy under the current form of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018;
• More funding for the FTC to regulate privacy;
• Making opting-out of consent as easy as opting-in;

This list would begin a process for individuals to manage their online privacy and personal information. However, it’s important to note that consumers can only object and consent to their rights if they know who is gathering their information (for more on this, I recommend this recent Slate article).

As state and national legislative bodies examine data privacy options, we’ll continue to provide updates on how this might impact corporate privacy programs. Watch this space.

-Brendan

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