Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., have introduced draft legislation that would establish national data privacy rights and protections for U.S. consumers.
The American Privacy Rights Act aims to give consumers control over their personal data by enabling them to opt out of certain data processing and targeted advertising and enforce stricter protections for sensitive data, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said Sunday.
The bill would also minimize the data companies collect and use about individuals and require companies to allow users to access, correct, delete and export their personal information.
To protect Americans’ civil rights, the legislation would prohibit discriminatory use of personal data, require annual reviews of algorithms and direct companies to appoint executives responsible for ensuring compliance to consumer data protection regulations.
“This landmark legislation represents the sum of years of good faith efforts in both the House and Senate. It strikes a meaningful balance on issues that are critical to moving comprehensive data privacy legislation through Congress,” Cantwell and Rodgers said in a joint statement.