On September 26, 2018, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened a hearing on Examining Consumer Privacy Protections with representatives of major technology and communications firms to discuss approaches to protecting consumer privacy, how the United States might craft a federal privacy law and companies’ experiences in implementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
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Senate Commerce Committee Members Rumored to be Discussing Online Privacy Bill
On August 29, 2018, Bloomberg Law reported that four Senate Commerce Committee members are said to be discussing a potential online privacy bill. …
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Senators Ask FTC to Investigate Smart TV Manufacturers
On July 12, 2018, two U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking it to investigate the privacy policies and practices of smart TV manufacturers. The Senators cite the history of unique privacy concerns raised by companies tracking information about the content viewers watch on TV.…
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Senator Wyden Calls for FCC Investigation into Company Sharing Location Data
On May 8, 2018, Senator Ron Wyden (D–OR) demanded that the FCC investigate the alleged unauthorized tracking of Americans’ location by Securus Technologies.…
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FTC Nominees Confirmed by Senate
On April 26, 2018, the U.S. Senate confirmed by unanimous consent all five pending nominees to the Federal Trade Commission.…
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House of Representatives Passes Email Privacy Act
On February 6, 2017, the House of Representatives suspended its rules and passed by voice vote H.R 387, the Email Privacy Act. The Email Privacy Act now moves to the Senate, where it will be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee. …
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Email Privacy Act Reintroduced in Congress
On January 9, 2017, Representatives Kevin Yoder (R-KS) and Jared Polis (D-CO) reintroduced the Email Privacy Act, which would amend the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to require government entities to obtain a warrant, based on probable cause, before accessing the content of any emails or electronic communications stored with third-party service providers, regardless of how long the communications have been held in electronic storage by such providers.…
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President Obama Signs Judicial Redress Act into Law
On February 24, 2016, President Obama signed the Judicial Redress Act into law. The Act grants non-U.S. citizens certain rights, including a private right of action for alleged privacy violations that occur in the U.S. …
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Congress Passes Judicial Redress Act
On February 10, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Judicial Redress Act, which had been approved by the Senate the night before and included a recent Senate amendment. The Judicial Redress Act grants non-U.S. citizens certain rights, including a private right of action for alleged privacy violations that occur in the U.S. …
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Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Amended Judicial Redress Act
On January 28, 2016, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Judicial Redress Act, which would give EU citizens the right to sue over certain data privacy issues in the U.S.…
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