A proposal for comprehensive digital privacy policy, one of the most contentious matters of the online era, is being floated in Congress by lawmakers in key positions to get it enacted. If passed, the bipartisan measure will mean big changes not just for consumers and tech businesses but also for federal and state privacy regulators.
The discussion draft, called the American Privacy Rights Act, would set a first-of-its-kind national rule for how companies can collect, use, and move a consumer’s data. It would also allow users to opt out of targeted advertising, access and delete their data, and take their data with them to other digital businesses. Larger social media platforms and companies dealing in sizable amounts of data would face heightened scrutiny under the law, while businesses with less than $40 million in annual gross revenue would be exempt from the proposal’s requirements.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D‑WA), left, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R‑WA). (Il …