Today, the Consumer Protection and Commerce subcommittee of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce committee considered and advanced American Data Privacy and Protection Act, introduced by Republican Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“We’re pleased Congress is working on a tech issue Americans actually care about,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel at NetChoice. “It’s critical that Congress creates a national privacy standard so businesses and consumers know how data is treated across the country, empowering them to stay safe online.”
“Lawmakers should use the legislative process to ensure the needs of small businesses are taken into account. Doing so would set a national standard on privacy and end the state-by-state patchwork of privacy proposals.”
“Unfortunately, the bill retains a privacy patchwork and gives favored status to California’s privacy law while obliterating privacy laws in other states like Colorado, Utah, and Virginia,” continued Szabo. “The private right of action opens the door for abusive litigation where large incumbents can litigate future competitors out of existence.”