Senator Prevents Action on Online Privacy Bill

securitas writes "The NYTimes tells us Senator Trent Lott forced the Senate Commerce Committee to adjourn this morning as it was on the verge of adopting an online privacy bill requiring ISPs and commercial Web sites to get customers' permission before they could disclose important personal information. That would include financial, medical, ethnic, religious and political information along with Social Security data and sexual orientation. I urge Trent Lott's constituents to make your voices heard on this. Same goes for readers whose senators serve on the Senate Commerce Committee." Salon and EPIC have written about Hollings' bill.

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[trollercoaster]

May 17, 2002
Senator Prevents Action on Online Privacy Bill
By ADAM CLYMER

WASHINGTON, May 16 -- Senator Trent Lott, the minority leader, forced the Senate Commerce Committee to adjourn this morning as it was on the verge of adopting an online privacy bill.

The measure would require Internet service providers, online service providers and commercial Web sites to get customers' permission before they could disclose important personal information. That would include financial, medical, ethnic, religious and political information along with Social Security data and sexual orientation.

Mr. Lott, a Mississippi Republican, had been on the losing side of a series of votes on amendments. The most important would have deleted the bill's provisions allowing individuals to sue over disclosure of their personal information, and another would have imposed the same secrecy protections on businesses that collect their information without using the Internet.

The bill does direct the Federal Trade Commission to enact rules imposing "similar" requirements on online and off-line data collection. But that did not satisfy most committee Republicans.

Just before the committee was to vote to send the bill to the Senate floor, Mr. Lott invoked a Senate rule barring committees from meeting for more than two hours after the Senate convenes and votes. That halted action on the bill and on several other measures, including a nomination by President Bush to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Since all 12 committee Democrats -- and 2 Republicans, Senators Conrad Burns of Montana and Ted Stevens of Alaska -- support the bill, it is likely to be voted out at the committee's next meeting, which may happen on Friday. But Mr. Lott's intense opposition indicates that it may be difficult for the bill even to be debated on the Senate floor.

The committee's senior Republican, Senator John McCain of Arizona, had warned the committee that unless the off-line-online data issue was addressed satisfactorily and the private suits were eliminated, the bill "will have great difficulty in receiving consideration on the floor of the Senate."

The Senate Democratic leaders have been reluctant to tie the Senate up for weeks with any but the most essential bills. But they might force this bill to the floor because there would be a political risk to Republicans in voting to maintain a filibuster against it.

Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, explained the politics of the measure.

"I think this subject of privacy is a ticking time bomb, and we better pay attention to it, because people do not want their personally identifiable medical and financial information spread all over every place," Mr. Nelson said. "A doctor needs to know what ails you. But those ailments, your mortgage banker doesn't need to know that."

Senator Ernest F. Hollings, the South Carolina Democrat who is chairman of the committee and sponsor of the bill, complained that "other than the progressive-minded companies, Hewlett-Packard and others, still a good segment of the industry opposes this bill."

Mr. Hollings said he found this strange because 180 American companies had agreed to similar rules to do business in the European Union.

Text of the Article

[Nickodemus]

ASHINGTON, May 16 -- Senator Trent Lott, the minority leader, forced the Senate Commerce Committee to adjourn this morning as it was on the verge of adopting an online privacy bill. The measure would require Internet service providers, online service providers and commercial Web sites to get customers' permission before they could disclose important personal information. That would include financial, medical, ethnic, religious and political information along with Social Security data and sexual orientation. Advertisement Mr. Lott, a Mississippi Republican, had been on the losing side of a series of votes on amendments. The most important would have deleted the bill's provisions allowing individuals to sue over disclosure of their personal information, and another would have imposed the same secrecy protections on businesses that collect their information without using the Internet. The bill does direct the Federal Trade Commission to enact rules imposing "similar" requirements on online and off-line data collection. But that did not satisfy most committee Republicans. Just before the committee was to vote to send the bill to the Senate floor, Mr. Lott invoked a Senate rule barring committees from meeting for more than two hours after the Senate convenes and votes. That halted action on the bill and on several other measures, including a nomination by President Bush to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Since all 12 committee Democrats -- and 2 Republicans, Senators Conrad Burns of Montana and Ted Stevens of Alaska -- support the bill, it is likely to be voted out at the committee's next meeting, which may happen on Friday. But Mr. Lott's intense opposition indicates that it may be difficult for the bill even to be debated on the Senate floor. The committee's senior Republican, Senator John McCain of Arizona, had warned the committee that unless the off-line-online data issue was addressed satisfactorily and the private suits were eliminated, the bill "will have great difficulty in receiving consideration on the floor of the Senate." The Senate Democratic leaders have been reluctant to tie the Senate up for weeks with any but the most essential bills. But they might force this bill to the floor because there would be a political risk to Republicans in voting to maintain a filibuster against it. Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, explained the politics of the measure. "I think this subject of privacy is a ticking time bomb, and we better pay attention to it, because people do not want their personally identifiable medical and financial information spread all over every place," Mr. Nelson said. "A doctor needs to know what ails you. But those ailments, your mortgage banker doesn't need to know that." Senator Ernest F. Hollings, the South Carolina Democrat who is chairman of the committee and sponsor of the bill, complained that "other than the progressive-minded companies, Hewlett-Packard and others, still a good segment of the industry opposes this bill." Mr. Hollings said he found this strange because 180 American companies had agreed to similar rules to do business in the European Union

Sore loser

[ackthpt]

Mr. Lott, a Mississippi Republican, had been on the losing side of a series of votes on amendments.

Lott just burns me up. His pissing and moaning seems even to extreme for a republican. Aside from in issue which may increase litigation (which IS our right, to see redress, etc.) I can't figure where someone would expect the average citizen to tolerate business swapping information, which may be inaccurate and used to deny service or increase cost to citizens. Seems we're always being left in the 'opt-out' mode by someone from a state which really is a backwater for american business. I'm also puzzled by McCain's tack on this, as it seems contrary to his norm.