EFF has long been in the business of searching for ways to guarantee digital privacy. That made essential that, ahead of a hearing titled “Protecting America's Consumers: Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Data Privacy and Security,” we send a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the draft text of a bill called “The American Data Privacy and Protection Act.”

American consumers need a strong federal privacy law. EFF appreciates the Committee highlighting the national conversation over how the government should protect us from businesses that harvest and monetize our personal information, and address the racial and other bias that excludes consumers of color from opportunities. To achieve these goals, the discussion draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act needs to be strengthened in several areas listed in our letter.

This draft might be a step in the right direction on many privacy concerns – assuming it is amended, as discussed in the letter, to ensure strong private enforcement in court, and to not undo other privacy laws at the federal and state levels.

We look forward to working with the sponsors to improve this legislation and strengthen the necessary protections.