US Senators Bring In Consumer Privacy Bill

In the US, four Democrat senators have re-introduced a bill that if passed, will provide consumers with the right to stop data brokers from using, sharing or selling their personal information for marketing purposes.

The Data Broker Accountability and Transparency Act (S.668) has been introduced by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Ma.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) and aims to give consumers protection and control over their data. The bill requires accountability and transparency from data brokers who collect and sell personal and sensitive information about consumers, and allows consumers to access and correct their own information.

In addition, it gives the FTC powers to enforce the law and disseminate those rules necessary to establish a web site for consumers to view a list of data brokers and information regarding consumer rights. Advocacy groups Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Digital Democracy and the US Public Interest Research Group are all backing the proposal.

Senator Franken explains: 'I believe Americans have a fundamental right to privacy, including the right to determine whether information about their personal lives should be available for sale to the highest bidder. Consumers have little, if any, way of knowing what information is being stored or to whom it is being sold. This legislation safeguards personal privacy and security in our everyday lives.'

The bill comes just a week after US industry body the MRA said that while it 'broadly shares' the goals behind President Obama's new Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, in its current form the proposed legislation is 'too vague to endorse'. This bill aims to give consumers more control over how their online data is managed and stored, requiring companies to explain their security and privacy policies in plain language, and also includes measures intended to stop big data analysis from resulting in discrimination.