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US lawmakers kick off debate over online privacy
US lawmakers opened a debate Tuesday over privacy legislation in the first step by Congress toward regulation addressing a series of troublesome data protection abuses by tech firms.
Most companies have said they would accept new federal legislation in the wake of bombshell revelations about Facebook and other online platforms' mishandling of users' personal data.
Lawmakers face several key choices, including whether to adopt the model in the European Union's data protection rules, and whether to pre-empt the strict privacy rules adopted by California.
A House of Representatives committee hearing on Tuesday is to be followed by a Senate panel Wednesday where industry and interest groups will make recommendations on US legislation.
Legislators are likely to find broad agreement on the need for greater transparency regarding the collection and sharing of data, and on tougher enforcement for violations.
Beyond that, sharp differences exist on how tightly tech firms should be reined in.
"A federal law must include basic rights for individuals to access, correct, delete and port their personal data," said Nuala O'Connor, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a digital rights group, in testimony prepared for the House Energy and Commerce panel.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 27 2019, @12:59PM (7 children)
The government is underfunded, that is why we have this situation. The only solution is to raise taxes so they can properly do their job. In this case that probably means keeping track of what every company has on every person in a centralized database with no moats between the various enforcement agencies, which could require a hundred billion dollars per year.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday February 27 2019, @02:57PM (2 children)
On the contrary, lower tax rates for the rich creates more taxes collected from the middle and poor classes. At least that's how "free market fairy story" goes and we all know this fairy is for reals (or... was it "for reales"?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 27 2019, @03:26PM
Raise taxes on them all.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 27 2019, @04:08PM
https://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2613 [smbc-comics.com]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Thexalon on Wednesday February 27 2019, @05:04PM (3 children)
I'm for raising taxes on rich people, but you are incorrect that the only solution is to raise taxes. For example, if we stopped spending money on ridiculously expensive military toys that we don't need and don't use and in some cases don't even work, that would save us a bundle. And of course raising taxes doesn't necessitate violating the privacy of every American citizen any more than it already is.
But don't worry, tech industry lobbyists: I'm quite certain that the government will never do anything that *really* prevents you from doing whatever you're doing with user information.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 27 2019, @09:20PM (1 child)
Time has proven that the US government can never become more efficient at anything. If they are wasting $2 Trillion per year, then we just have to deal with that and raise taxes so they have more money to spend on other stuff.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 28 2019, @12:59PM
Line building walls and feeding immigrants and paying the dole
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 28 2019, @07:45AM
Cut funding to the NSA. Even if the law doesn't pass, you still protect the public's data.