Two important U.S. politicians from our state have come up with a plan to give every American the right to privacy online. The planned agreement would set a federal standard that has never been seen before.
Big tech will not be able to use your data for profit without your knowledge or permission. This will give Americans power over their own online data and rein in big tech.
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Calif.) introduced the draft bill for the Proposed American Privacy Act on Sunday.
“This is what America wants, and two women from Washington have shown that you can get it done,” Cantwell said in a Zoom show. “This bill will stop big tech from spying on, predicting, and controlling people, especially our kids, for profit without their knowledge or permission,” McMorris Rodgers said in the same Zoom conversation.
Through the same video interview on Monday, both politicians talked about how important this kind of action is and how much the people of this country deserve it.
“So much information is being collected today, and with AI and other advancements, people are starting to practically profile you and make that profile information available to people that might discriminate against you, without even you knowing it,” said Cantwell. “We want to say that your most sensitive data -You should have to be asked about whether that data is going to be sold and give permission for that.”
The goal is to make a national rule that limits how businesses can get, share, and use personal information about Americans online. Companies would not be able to send private information to third parties, users would be able to refuse focused ads, and people would be able to protect their data privacy rights.
“If you have caused substantial harm, it gives you a private right of action, which means you can file a lawsuit.” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said, “Those groups will be held responsible. The bill gives power back to the people.”
People like Cantwell and McMorris Rodgers say that the measure is “foundational.” A discussion draft that came out over the weekend gives all Americans the same national data privacy rights:
- People are in charge of their own personal information.
- Sets one national privacy standard that is better than any state’s law. This gets rid of the patchwork of state laws.
- Limits the amount of information businesses can gather, store, and use about people of all ages to just what they need to give them goods and services.
- Allows Americans to decide where their private information goes, including the option to stop it from being shared or sold. People can also choose not to have their data processed if a company changes its privacy policy.
- Makes sure that sensitive data is better protected by needing clear and affirmative permission before it can be sent to a third party.
- Companies must let people see, change, delete, and export their info.
- People can choose not to receive targeted ads.
