The House Energy & Commerce Committee released a bipartisan draft of a comprehensive consumer internet privacy bill just before 2019 year-end. With countless online privacy abuses, data misuses, and security breaches in recent years, these legislative developments are highly welcome progress.
Op-eds
Congress Must Act Now to Stop TV Blackouts for Nearly 900,000 Americans
STELAR allows viewers nationwide to receive network programming from a local station when possible or from satellite delivery when necessary. If STELAR is not renewed, there are at least 870,000 mostly rural people who will lose access to at least some network programming.
Nationwide Internet Privacy Protections are Within Reach
In Congress, as with the American public, a broad consensus exists that the time is ripe for the enactment of federal consumer data privacy protections. All eyes have now turned to Sens. Cantwell and Wicker with the expectation that they will soon come forward with a bipartisan bill that can attract broad support in both the House and the Senate.
Democratic Candidates Need to Learn to Play the Long Game on Broadband
It’s time for candidates to discuss how they propose to get to fast broadband for everyone, rather than just throwing money at a problem and hoping for the best public sector solution.
Congress Must Act to Stop Balkanization of the Internet
Congress should heed the broad national consensus in support of strong federal privacy protections and pass a bipartisan measure that assures consumers a constant level of protection, regardless of where they happen to be or how they access the internet.
STELAR Act Reauthorization Should Top Congress’ Year-End List
As many as 870,000 people — most living in rural areas — would lose access to at least some broadcast network signals if Congress does not renew the STELAR Act.
Only Congress Can End the Net Neutrality War
Statutory permanence for internet openness is the only way to end the ongoing uncertainty shrouding the internet ecosystem due to ever-changing rules.
Busting the Millennial Privacy Myth
The privacy concerns of Millennials are just about as strong as those of us who were born before the advent of the digital age and the construction of an internet ecosystem that now touches all of our lives.
Are Digital Natives Careless or Cautious With Their Data?
According to a new survey, the assumption that Millennials are not very concerned about online privacy because they grew up with the internet is clearly false.
This is Why Facebook’s $5 billion Fine Doesn’t Mean Your Personal Information Isn’t Still at Risk
In the wake of several recent data breaches by large companies, it’s time to bring privacy to the forefront of tech policy.
Data Privacy Rules Should Create Consistency, Not Chaos
A single, strong national data privacy standard would provide clear rules for companies to follow while fostering consumer understanding of the privacy assurances that have been extended to them.
Gottheimer, Others Want a Compromise on Net Neutrality. We Think That’s a good thing, Group Says
It’s entirely possible for Congress to enact a net neutrality bill this year, but there is little time to spare. Posturing should give way to negotiating. That’s the only way that both sides of the aisle and both sides of Capitol Hill will be able to point to a real accomplishment: putting core open internet provisions in statute law.