Ambassador Maria Pagan, who leads the U.S. delegation at the World Trade Organization, defended the U.S. during the two-day session in Geneva that began Dec. 14. All countries in the WTO must answer questions about their policies every few years.
Ambassador Maria Pagan, who leads the U.S. delegation at the World Trade Organization, defended the U.S. during the two-day session in Geneva that began Dec. 14. All countries in the WTO must answer questions about their policies every few years.
The broadband industry will shift attention to passing a national privacy law, after dropping a lawsuit against Maine, said telecom and cable associations Tuesday. Plaintiffs USTelecom, NCTA, CTIA and ACA Connects decided not to continue a nearly 2-year-old challenge of the state’s ISP privacy law. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey (D) said the state law’s survival is important for protecting consumers. The case’s end should encourage more states to act, said consumer privacy advocates in interviews.
The House Judiciary Committee is moving forward with plans to mark up the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, a source familiar with discussions told us Friday. That could mean potential movement in both chambers as the Senate Judiciary Committee eyes the first week of September for marking up S-673, after holding the bill last week (see 2208020063).
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., won’t bring up bipartisan privacy legislation the House Commerce Committee introduced for markup this week, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., won’t bring up bipartisan privacy legislation the House Commerce Committee introduced for markup this week, Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told reporters Wednesday.
Seven witnesses representing industry and consumer groups are expected to testify with a former FTC chair at Tuesday’s House Consumer Protection Subcommittee legislative hearing on a bipartisan privacy discussion draft, according to committee materials reviewed Friday.
Seven witnesses representing industry and consumer groups are expected to testify with a former FTC chair at Tuesday’s House Consumer Protection Subcommittee legislative hearing on a bipartisan privacy discussion draft, according to committee materials reviewed Friday.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act discussion draft floated by House Commerce Committee leaders and Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., drew mixed reaction from Friday into Monday from stakeholders. The proposal directs the FTC to set national rules on what types of data tech companies can collect from users and how they can disseminate it. It would also grant a limited private right of action and preempt many state-level privacy statutes (see 2206030058). “This draft shows that there is a bipartisan path forward on long-overdue legislation to protect consumers’ privacy,” said Center for Democracy and Technology President Alexandra Reeve Givens. “While it’s not perfect, the draft is a hopeful first step.” The group recognizes “that there will be negotiations that require difficult trade-offs, but now is the time for that work to happen,” she said. The Computer & Communications Industry Association gave a tepid response that didn’t point to specific elements of the Wicker-House Commerce draft. “Internet traffic crosses state and international boundaries and internet users need basic protections to travel with them,” said CCIA President Matt Schruers. “Strong baseline privacy protections are key to consumer trust and we appreciate members of Congress working toward this goal.” The 21st Century Privacy Coalition “appreciates the discussion draft’s efforts to achieve a comprehensive national privacy effort” and looks “forward to reviewing the bill in detail and providing feedback. However, we are concerned about the bill’s failure to include certain communications services in the comprehensive framework.”
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J.; and panel ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., floated a discussion draft Friday of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act in a bid to advance compromise tech-focused privacy legislation before the end of this Congress. The proposal’s chances of advancing before the end of the year could be hampered by a rapidly closing legislative window and a lack of buy-in from Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., lobbyists and officials told us.