Universal Federal Privacy Law Considered by Experts

Kitty Wang
By Kitty Wang
April 11, 2019US News
share

In the digital age, dealing with digital privacy and the balance between data security and technological innovation are urgent issues facing legislators in various countries. After the EU implemented the General Data Protection Regulation last year, the U.S. is also considering setting a universal privacy law at the federal level.

“I think that we are soon going to be facing, in the absence of a federal privacy law with preemption, an unworkable patchwork,” said Christine Wilson, commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission.

Christine Wilson commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission
Christine Wilson, commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission speaking during the Perspectives on data privacy from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice event at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, on April 3, 2019. (NTD Screenshot)

Last March, Cambridge Analytica collected tens of millions of user’s data through Facebook. After being disclosed by the media, California took the lead in strengthening consumer privacy protection by passing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Now, Washington State looks likely to become the second state to pass a similar comprehensive privacy act, a prospect that has drawn concern from many internet companies in the United States and forced the federal government to consider a unified consumer privacy law.

“The United States for a long time has privacy laws in certain sectors, like health records, or your financial records, but it doesn’t have a general privacy law,” said Peter Swire, professor of law and ethics at Georgia Technology Institute.

Peter Swire professor of law and ethics at Georgia Technology Institute
Peter Swire, professor of law and ethics at Georgia Technology Institute at the Perspectives on data privacy from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice event at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, on April 3, 2019. (NTD Screenshot)

Strict Legislation

The European Parliament began implementing the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) last May. It is now considered the most strict privacy law in the world. In the United States, however, focusing legislation on personal privacy poses great challenges to government supervision and law enforcement, as well as technological innovation.

Director of the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties of the US Department of Justice, Peter Winn, said that gaining the trust of the American people was crucial.

“The bottom line is that the American business and government need access to personal information to carry out our public and private sector mission successfully,” said Winn. “And to do this, we need the trust of the American people. We can only earn this trust by making sure we handle their information appropriate and lawfully.”

Consumer Data

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the agency that enforces federal consumer protection laws. At the end of March, they announced inquiries into the privacy practices of Internet service providers, requiring companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to submit non-public information describing how they handle consumer data. This is seen as an important step in limiting the collection and sharing of consumer data information.

Bert Swanson, Visiting Fellow at American Enterprise Institute
Bert Swanson, Visiting Fellow at American Enterprise Institute at the Perspectives on data privacy from the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice event at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, on April 3, 2019. (NTD Screenshot)

“Can we reach a balance that protects consumers on the one hand, and also protects our capacity to innovate, to develop new products and new services that actually help consumers in the long term, but which actually use more data more information?” said Bert Swanson, Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise Institute. “And that is really the crux of the issue.”

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments