UPDATE — June 23, 2022: After the American Data Privacy and Protection Act was formally introduced, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection advanced the bill to the full committee during a markup.
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Access Now is encouraged by the introduction of the discussion draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, and its potential to defend human rights and combat data-driven discrimination. The legislation brings civil rights protections into the digital age.
Last week, U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker released a draft of a comprehensive national data privacy and security framework. The bill would require companies that collect data to conduct annual civil rights assessments on their algorithms’ impacts and submit those reports to the Federal Trade Commission. It would also prohibit disparate impact in AI algorithms, limit the amount of information entities collect about people online, hold companies to high standards of data security, and give people the power to sue companies for privacy violations.
“Our data should be respected and protected,” said Willmary Escoto, U.S. Policy Analyst at Access Now. “While we are still reviewing the proposal, the underlying truth is data protection is urgently needed and people in the United States — especially marginalized groups — have been left behind. We have a bill that could push the nation towards achieving a data protected future that prioritizes civil rights and holds Big Tech accountable. Like any proposal, there is room for improvement, but we are optimistic.”