Ahead of Wednesday’s
Senate hearing with top tech firms on the state of consumer data privacy, several pro-business groups have made their voices heard on the matter. The latest statement is from the government itself.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Tuesday added an “unpublished notice” to the Federal Registry asking for public comment on the subject. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) was the first to report the news.
NTIA’s notice takes a pro-business tack, saying, “The time is ripe for this Administration to provide the leadership needed to ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of enabling innovation with strong privacy protections.”
The NTIA made similar statements earlier this year, when its administrator, David J. Redl, an assistant secretary of the US Department of Commerce, spoke about the administration’s concerns about data privacy laws like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Redl’s boss, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, wrote an impassioned critique of GDPR calling it “likely to create barriers to trade.”
Why you should care
Pressure to create federal legislation on consumer privacy and data protection has taken on greater urgency in light of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) taking effect in May and the passage of a state-level privacy regulation in California this June.
The business lobby is eager to put its imprint on a framework, but we’ve yet to hear from any substantial pro-consumer lobbies, who are sure to add their voices as these conversations continue to heat up. A federal law could have sweeping implications for the tech giants, as well as marketing and advertising technology firms and any businesses that collect or process user data.
More on the news
The implementation of GDPR and the passage of California’s similarly styled California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have served as an impetus for the 40-member-strong Internet Association (IA) and the US Chamber of Commerce to lobby the administration for federal legislation.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday asking it to consider its framework as a model for federal legislation.
Google also released a framework on Monday. The company said its framework is based on established privacy regimes that help it “evaluate legal proposals and advocate for smart, interoperable, and adaptable data protection regulations.”
The Senate hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning and will feature testimony from senior executives from Google, Twitter, Apple, AT&T, Amazon and Charter Communications.
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