Democrats Draft Internet Bill of Rights
If Democrats win the House of Representatives this November, a so-called Internet Bill of Rights may pass. Representative Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley drafted up ten conditions to protect Internet-users’ privacy. This list is less of a bill and more like a list of principles.
The principles include:
- Protect net neutrality
- Ensure consumer choice for internet service providers
- Offer greater transparency on how companies collect personal data online
- Notify consumers right away if anyone accesses or hacks into consumers’ personal data
- Require consumers to opt-in before online companies can collect data about them.
This is a big deal because many of the tech industry’s largest companies, like Facebook and Google, have business models built on monetizing collecting personal data through advertising.
However, current events like the Equifax security breach, Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, and foreign interference in elections have grabbed the attention of the American public and lawmakers to make a change.