During CES this week, CTA senior vice president of political and industry affairs Tiffany Moore led a discussion on the contentious issues surrounding privacy in an evolving digital landscape. With her, former FTC acting chair Maureen Ohlhausen was joined by Asad Ramzanali, legislative director to Representative Anna Eshoo (D-California), and Dr. Carlos Nunez, ResMed chief medical officer. Ohlhausen noted that the FTC is the primary agency tasked with privacy issues, based on a 1938 law passed by Congress prohibiting “unfair and deceptive acts or practices.” Continue reading CES: Stakeholders Debate the Complex Issues of Privacy 3.0

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) has revisited her Data Protection Act of 2020 to add the creation of a government agency that would regulate and enforce federal privacy laws. She noted that, “Big Tech companies are free to sell individuals’ data to the highest bidder without fear of real consequences … a data privacy crisis is looming over the everyday lives of Americans.” The revamped version, more likely to be passed during the Biden administration, also includes sections on antitrust and civil rights. Continue reading Another Call for the Creation of a Privacy Enforcement Agency

Currently, the Federal Trade Commission is the government agency responsible for monitoring privacy violations. But, in response to rising calls to regulate big tech companies, two legislators — Anna Eshoo (D-California) and Zoe Lofgren (D-California) — have sponsored the Online Privacy Act. Among its provisions, the Act would create the Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) to enforce privacy legislation, backed up by 1,600 officials. The size would make it on a par with the Federal Communications Commission. Continue reading Lawmakers Introduce Sweeping Online Privacy Legislation