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U.S. Senators Introduce Privacy Bill Imposing Strict Obligation for Online
Companies
Performance Marketing Insider
recently published a fascinating article on the [likely] forthcoming
'Data Care Act'. If the act gets passed, it would require websites,
apps and other online providers to take responsible steps to safeguard
personal information and stop the misuse of users' data.
¡¡
If you're a marketer who targets the US - and thought that you had
'sidestepped' the EU's GDPR - it seems that broadly the same legislation is
coming stateside.
Below is an excerpt of the article.
"The Data Care Act would
require websites, apps and other online providers to take responsible steps
to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users' data.
¡¡
United States Brian Schatz, the top Democrat on the
Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet
Subcommittee, along with a group of 15 senators, have introduced new
legislation to protect people's personal data online. The Data Care Act
would require websites, apps and other online providers to take responsible
steps to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users' data.
¡°People have a basic expectation that the personal information they provide
to websites and apps is well-protected and won't be used against them. Just
as doctors and lawyers are expected to protect and responsibly use the
personal data they hold, online companies should be required to do the same.
Our bill will help make sure that when people give online companies their
information, it won't be exploited,¡± said Senator Shatz.
In a December 12, 2018 press release on his website, Senator Schatz
expressed his belief that by establishing a fiduciary duty for online
providers, Americans would be better able to trust that their online data is
being protected and used in a responsible way.
¡°Online service providers should be required to act in the best interests of
their customers, just like providers of other critical services,¡± Senator
Hassan said. ¡°Consumers should not be required to wade through and interpret
pages of dense terms and conditions agreements, and it is not realistic in
today's digital world to suggest that people could simply forgo online
services and websites if they object to the way their data is being used.
This commonsense legislation establishes a legal obligation for online
service providers to act in the best interests of consumers so that people
can trust that their data is being protected and used responsibly.¡±
¡°It's long past time we rethink how our personal data is collected, stored,
and shared online,¡± said Senator Bennet. ¡°Websites and apps that profit from
our data should be held accountable for how they use it. The Data Care Act
will ensure internet companies use our online data as we expect them to: in
our best interest.¡±
¡°With major hacks or data leaks of private user information at Facebook,
Marriott, Google, Equifax and Uber in just the last year or so, it's
abundantly clear that Congress must do more to protect Americans' personal
data online,¡± said Senator Duckworth. ¡°Health professionals and financial
advisors have long been responsible for handling personal information with
the consumer's best interests in mind, it's time we extend this commonsense
principle to websites and online providers. I'm proud to join Senator Schatz
in introducing this important legislation to do just that.¡±
¡°Online platforms are collecting an enormous amount of personal data on
Americans - everything from what we buy and what websites we go to, to what
our emails say and where we go throughout the day. These companies are
making billions off of this data and they're keeping Americans in the dark
about how it is being used. That's wrong and it is especially alarming
because it seems like every day we hear about new data breaches. It is clear
that we must do more to protect consumer privacy. The Data Care Act will
help by establishing a duty of care for sensitive data and by ensuring the
FTC can hold companies accountable when they fall short. The digital space
can't keep operating like the Wild West at the expense of our privacy,¡± said
Senator Klobuchar."
To continue reading the article,
please
click here.
If you have any questions/comments on the above, please email
us.
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