Democratic Senators Introduce New Privacy Bill

Democratic Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut have introduced the Privacy Bill of Rights. The bill would require edge providers to receive opt-in consent to use, share or sell users' personal info. Even though it would not extend opt-in to data collection, the Privacy Bill of Rights would require edge providers to notify users of such collection. The bill would also require the Federal Trade Commission to create online protections for "customers" of online edge providers, including Facebook and Google. In a statement Markey said, "The avalanche of privacy violations by Facebook and other online companies has reached a critical threshold, and we need legislation that makes consent the law of the land."