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Senator Introduces Bill That Would Send CEOs To Jail For Violating Consumer Privacy (vice.com)

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has introduced the Consumer Data Protection Act that "would dramatically beef up Federal Trade Commission authority and funding to crack down on privacy violations, let consumers opt out of having their sensitive personal data collected and sold, and impose harsh new penalties on a massive data monetization industry that has for years claims that self-regulation is all that's necessary to protect consumer privacy," reports Motherboard. From the report: Wyden's bill proposes that companies whose revenue exceeds $1 billion per year -- or warehouse data on more than 50 million consumers or consumer devices -- submit "annual data protection reports" to the government detailing all steps taken to protect the security and privacy of consumers' personal information. The proposed legislation would also levy penalties up to 20 years in prison and $5 million in fines for executives who knowingly mislead the FTC in these reports. The FTC's authority over such matters is currently limited -- one of the reasons telecom giants have been eager to move oversight of their industry from the Federal Communications Commission to the FTC. "Today's economy is a giant vacuum for your personal information -- everything you read, everywhere you go, everything you buy and everyone you talk to is sucked up in a corporation's database," Wyden said in a statement. "But individual Americans know far too little about how their data is collected, how it's used and how it's shared."

"It's time for some sunshine on this shadowy network of information sharing," Wyden said. "My bill creates radical transparency for consumers, gives them new tools to control their information and backs it up with tough rules with real teeth to punish companies that abuse Americans' most private information."

9 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Zuck and Trump should be cellmates. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It would be fitting torture for both.

  2. Not nearly enough by MikeRT · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Those brokers are not nearly as dangerous as things like Google buying access to MasterCard's data. Facebook and MasterCard also appear to have bidirectional sharing agreement.

    If you don't touch that, it's like fighting the drug war while conspicuously avoiding ever moving on the cartels and focusing only on street dealers and their suppliers.

  3. This guy deserves a medal... by Narcocide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... for the most futile good-will gesture in all of history.

  4. More grandstanding with worthless legislation. by Hylandr · · Score: 2

    companies whose revenue exceeds $1 billion per year -- or warehouse data on more than 50 million consumers or consumer devices -- submit "annual data protection reports"

    So, Only the biggest companies with the biggest legal depts are required to 'self report'?

    Thanks Senator (x) That will be so helpful let me give you all our votes.

    --
    ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  5. Re:Why don't we include the government in that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Really? Do you trust them not to be in bed with the government too?

  6. simple solution by supernova87a · · Score: 2

    Jail is too far off a concept for people in charge. I always felt that a simple solution would be to immediately charge companies the following penalty schedule for losing each customer record:

    $2 for each name + password
    $5 for phone number
    $10 for social security number

    And multiply for combinations of the above. You'll see companies start fixing their processes (or simply refusing to store unnecessary data, right quick.

  7. Re:Why don't we include the government in that? by doom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I trust private companies more than the govt.

    And I trust almost anyone more than people who are still saying stuff like this.

  8. Re:Bill is DOA by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You only think that's not the real reason behind almost all legislation.

    In about 2/3 of the world, you go into government because that's where the money is -- getting in the way of business and people, so you can get paid to get back out of the way. And I'm not just talking politicians.

    It's much more restricted in the West, but far from gone.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  9. Re:Why don't we include the government in that? by whoever57 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps that's the real motivation for this bill: Make CEOs think twice before cooperating with the NSA in invading the privacy of US citizens.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!