Submitted via IRC for Fnord666_
The Trump administration is working on a set of data privacy protections, the Washington Post reports, and according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, officials have held 22 meetings with more than 80 companies and groups since last month. Companies like Facebook, Google, AT&T and Comcast have been involved, according to four Washington Post sources familiar with the matter. The short-term goal is to deliver a data privacy proposal -- including how data should be collected and handled and what rights consumers have regarding that data -- which could serve as a guide for lawmakers as they consider legislation.
Axios reported last month that the White House was looking into a data privacy plan, meeting with groups like the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group representing companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook, and The Business Roundtable, a lobbying group that hosts tech CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook, IBM's Virginia Rometty and Verizon's Lowell McAdam.
"Through the White House National Economic Council, the Trump Administration aims to craft a consumer privacy protection policy that is the appropriate balance between privacy and prosperity," Lindsay Walters, the president's deputy press secretary, told the Washington Post. "We look forward to working with Congress on a legislative solution consistent with our overarching policy."
The draft proposal also asks Congress to devise a law that would preempt any state laws, notable as California has just passed its own set of data privacy regulations. Vermont has taken on data privacy through legislation as well.
The White House is reportedly working to have its data privacy plan set this fall. Meanwhile, multiple lawmakers have now introduced their own data privacy bills in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Source: https://www.engadget.com/2018/07/27/white-house-federal-data-privacy-policy/
(Score: 3, Insightful) by captain normal on Saturday July 28 2018, @08:52PM (1 child)
Just look at who they're talking to.
"Facebook, Google, AT&T and Comcast have been involved....
....Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group representing companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook, and The Business Roundtable, a lobbying group that hosts tech CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook, IBM's Virginia Rometty and Verizon's Lowell McAdam."
Do you think any of those parties have general populations welfare in mind? Plus they have already made up their mind: "... the Trump Administration aims to craft a consumer privacy protection policy that is the appropriate balance between privacy and prosperity".
Do you think for a minute that they want to balance privacy laws in favor of most of the population rather than in favor of the big TelCos and Advertising companies?
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 29 2018, @09:34AM
I'm sure Trump's administration will treat privacy the same way they view the environment. As trump himself said "Sure we'll keep a little bit of it around, but it can't stand in the way of business."
So basically it'll turn out that people will get whatever privacy rights business deems they should have. (Which will be shockingly few.)