By Timothy Lee, Guest Columnist
Several Members of Congress just introduced legislation that aims to protect consumer data from misuse and abuse.
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 Qp>6C:42? s2E2 !C:G24J 2?5 !C@E64E:@? p4E[Q DA@?D@C65 :? E96 $6?2E6 3J $6?2E@C #@86C (:4<6C[ #\|:DD][ 2?5 :? E96 w@FD6 3J #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D uC2?< !2==@?6[ s\}]y][ 2?5 r2E9J |4|@CC:D #@586CD[ #\(2D9][ 4@?E2:?D D:8?:7:42?E 56764ED F?C6=2E65 E@ >F49\?66565 AC:G24J AC@E64E:@?D 7@C 4@?DF>6CD @C 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am
kAmx?DE625 @7 D:>A=J D2768F2C5:?8 E96 A6CD@?2= :?7@C>2E:@? @7 @C5:?2CJ p>6C:42?D 2?5 D:>A=:7J:?8 =682= @3=:82E:@?D 7@C 4@>A2?:6D[ E96 3:== :? :ED 4FCC6?E 7@C> H@F=5 F?4@C< 2 E@CC6?E @7 4@F?E6CAC@5F4E:G6 =2HDF:ED E92E H@F=5 52>286 ;@3 4C62E@CD 2?5 6?C:49 EC:2= =2HJ6CD]k^Am
kAm%96C6VD ?@ BF6DE:@? p>6C:42 ?665D 2 7656C2= 52E2 AC:G24J =2H] sF6 E@ E96 =24< @7 2 F?:7@C> 7656C2= DE2?52C5[ 52E2 AC:G24J :D 8@G6C?65 3J 2 A2E49H@C< @7 DE2E6 =2HD 2?5 C68F=2E:@?D] r@?D6BF6?E=J[ p>6C:42? 7:C>D >2J ?665=6DD=J DA6?5 FA E@ S` EC:==:@? @G6C E96 ?6IE 564256 ECJ:?8 E@ ?2G:82E6 E92E =682= >2K6 2?5 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 G2CJ:?8 DE2EFE6D — H:E9 Sa__ 3:==:@? @7 E92E 3FC56? 72==:?8 @? D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am
kAmp D:?8=6[ DEC62>=:?65 7656C2= =2H H@F=5 96=A C62DDFC6 4@?DF>6CD E92E E96:C 52E2 C6>2:?D D64FC6[ C682C5=6DD @7 H96C6 E96J =:G6 @C H96C6 2 4@>A2?J :D =@42E65]k^Am
kAm%96 =68:D=2E:@? F?56C 4@?D:56C2E:@?[ 9@H6G6C[ 4@?E2:?D EH@ >2DD:G6 7=2HD E92E H@F=5 F?=62D9 6?5=6DD 4=2DD\24E:@? =:E:82E:@? @G6C >:?@C @C E649?:42= G:@=2E:@?D[ 2==@H:?8 =2HJ6CD E@ C62A >:==:@?D H9:=6 4=2DD >6>36CD C646:G6 ;FDE 2 76H 5@==2CD @C[ :? >2?J 42D6D[ ?@E9:?8 2E 2==]k^Am
kAmu:CDE[ E96 AC@A@D65 =68:D=2E:@? :?4=F56D 2 32? @? 4=2DD\24E:@? H2:G6CD :? 2C3:EC2E:@? 28C66>6?ED[ H9:49 4@F=5 AC@9:3:E 4@>A2?:6D 2?5 4@?DF>6CD 7C@> 92G:?8 E96:C 5:DAFE6D C6D@=G65 @? 2? :?5:G:5F2= 32D:D] pC3:EC2E:@? @776CD 2 >@C6 677:4:6?E 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ 4@FCE =:E:82E:@?[ C6=J:?8 @? :?56A6?56?E E9:C5 A2CE:6D E@ >65:2E6 4@?7=:4ED] tDD6?E:2==J[ E96 A2CE:6D :? 5:DAFE6 E2<6 E96:C :DDF6D E@ 2 ?6FEC2= A2CEJ[ AC6D6?E E96:C C6DA64E:G6 2C8F>6?ED[ 2?5 28C66 E@ 23:56 3J H92E6G6C E96 2C3:EC2E@C 564:56D]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 EC:2= =2HJ6CD 2C6 F?56CDE2?523=J =@2E9 E@ 25>:E :E[ 2C3:EC2E:@? :D 86?6C2==J 36EE6C 7@C 4@?DF>6CD E92? EC25:E:@?2= 4@FCE =:E:82E:@?] xE :D EJA:42==J 4962A6C[ BF:4<6C[ 2?5 =6DD 4@>A=:42E65 E92? 7@C>2= =2HDF:ED] r@?DF>6CD AC6G2:= c` A6C46?E @7 E96 E:>6 :? 2C3:EC2E:@?[ G6CDFD ah A6C46?E :? 4@FCE] p55:E:@?2==J[ 2H2C5D :? 42D6D 564:565 3J 2C3:EC2E:@? 24EF2==J 6I4665 4@FCEC@@> 2H2C5D — Sg_[___ G6CDFD Sf`[___[ C6DA64E:G6=J] pC3:EC2E:@? 42D6D 2C6 2=D@ C6D@=G65 af A6C46?E >@C6 BF:4<=J @? 2G6C286[ 2?5 E96C6VD @7E6? ?@ ?665 E@ :?G@=G6 — 2?5 E9FD A2J — 2 =2HJ6C] k^Am
kAm}2EFC2==J[ 9@H6G6C[ E9@D6 36?67:ED AC6D6?E 3:8 AC@3=6>D 7C@> EC:2= =2HJ6CDV A6CDA64E:G6] %96J AC676C 9F86[ 4=2DD\24E:@? =2HDF:ED E92E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 a_`d DEF5J 3J E96 r@?DF>6C u:?2?4:2= !C@E64E:@? qFC62F[ ?6E 4@?DF>6CD 2? 2G6C286 @7 Sba H9:=6 =2HJ6CD 62C? 4=@D6 E@ S` >:==:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 3:==VD D64@?5 >2DD:G6 7=2H H@F=5 4C62E6 2 QAC:G2E6 C:89E @7 24E:@?[Q H9:49 2==@HD :?5:G:5F2=D E@ DF6 E@ 6?7@C46 E96 =2H ?@ >2EE6C 9@H EC:G:2= E96 G:@=2E:@?] (96? ?F>6C@FD :?5:G:5F2=D 42? 7:=6 E96 D2>6 4@>A=2:?E[ A=2:?E:77DV =2HJ6CD ECJ E@ =F>A E96> 2== E@86E96C :? @?6 3:8 =2HDF:E 282:?DE 2 3FD:?6DD \\ 6G6? :7 >@DE @7 E96 A6@A=6 :? E96 4=2DD 2C6 F?2H2C6 E96J’C6 A2CE @7 2 =2HDF:E] xEVD A6C764E=J 4=62C 9@H E92E 36?67:ED =2HJ6CD] qFE :EVD F?46CE2:? 9@H :E H@F=5 25G2?46 4@?DF>6C AC:G24J 2?5 52E2 AC@E64E:@?]k^Am
kAms2E2 D64FC:EJ 2?5 AC:G24J C6>2:? D6C:@FD[ 4@>A=6I :DDF6D[ 2?5 r@?8C6DD D9@F=5 23D@=FE6=J AFCDF6 2 F?:7@C> ?2E:@?2= A@=:4J] !6@A=6 H9@ DE62= @FC 52E2[ 2?5 3FD:?6DD6D E92E 72:= E@ 256BF2E6=J AC@E64E :E[ >FDE 36 96=5 244@F?E23=6]k^Am
kAmpD 4FCC6?E=J 5C27E65[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 p>6C:42? s2E2 !C:G24J 2?5 !C@E64E:@? p4E 4@?E2:?D F?2446AE23=6 AC@G:D:@?D E92E H@F=5 6?23=6 C:49 EC:2= =2HJ6CD E@ 86E 6G6? C:496C H9:=6 56=:G6C:?8 D42?E 36?67:ED E@ @C5:?2CJ p>6C:42?D H9@D6 :?E6C6DED E96J 4=2:> E@ C6AC6D6?E]k^Am
kAm%:>@E9J w] {66 :D D6?:@C G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 =682= 2?5 AF3=:4 2772:CD 2E E96 r6?E6C 7@C x?5:G:5F2= uC665@>]k^Am
