WASHINGTON, D.C. – After years of bipartisan discussions, roundtables and feedback, congressional members are looking to protect your data rights. We aired special reports on this very issue that details how companies collect and track your every move online and could use it against you.
In a congressional hearing, data privacy specialists and advocates outline dangers a lack of consumer privacy rules and regulations pose, saying companies collect personal information on you from your internet browsing, purchasing history, even location points and can target you.
“Often these profiles are used to target people with ads and stalk them across the web,” said Caitriona Fitzgerald, the deputy director for Electronic Privacy Information Center. “And in other cases, these programs are used to seek algorithms that are used to create interest rates on mortgages, credit cards, or deny jobs; depriving people of opportunities and perpetuating structural inequalities.”
Lilly Broadcasting stations aired special reports on the issue of data privacy. We spoke with experts and congressional members on protecting your data.
“We as humans have a right to own her own data and information,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) from the special report.
Now, congressional members on both sides of the aisle want to move forward with the so-called “American Data Privacy and Protection Act” which members on both sides have worked together on it for years. They said the bill strikes a delicate balance of putting controlled data back into the hands of people while providing fair rules for businesses.
“The bill adds individual rights allows people to control their data, opt out of targeted advertising and stop the data from being sold without their permission,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D- NJ).
“Our draft would ban targeted advertising to children und the age of 17,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R- FL).
“This discussion draft imposes different obligations on different kinds of businesses to reflect their roles in the internet ecosystem,” said Pallone. “Steps are taken to limit the compliance burden on small and mid-sized businesses without sacrificing consumer protections. Large data holders like big tech face additional requirements and obligations and data brokers that profit from buying and selling your data are brought out of the shadows.”
While this bill could go through more adjustments, committee members said it’s a good first step in an area that needs more oversight.