Across the United States, evolving data collection and processing practices and advances in artificial intelligence are driving new digital services, technologies, and socially beneficial research – while also raising new opportunities, risks, and questions for individuals and communities. In response, state and federal policymakers are considering new legislative and regulatory frameworks on three interconnected fronts: comprehensive consumer privacy laws that establish baseline rights and protections for personal data across the economy; frameworks that target specific sectors and practices such as automated decisionmaking, biometric identification, companion chatbots, data-driven pricing, data brokerage, frontier AI model safety, genetic data, and health data; and youth-specific privacy and online safety laws that set distinct rules for minors. These three tracks rarely stay in their lanes: a comprehensive privacy law may include AI provisions, an AI safety bill may carve out rules for minors, a youth online safety law may hinge on biometric age verification. Understanding the landscape requires understanding both the individual pieces and how they fit together.
FPF’s U.S. Legislation team provides expert, independent, pragmatic analysis of state and federal legislative and regulatory approaches to privacy, AI, and youth online safety – three distinct but increasingly intertwined issue areas. The team tracks emerging proposals, compares new laws against existing frameworks, analyzes implementation and compliance implications, and helps policymakers and stakeholders understand how legal requirements interact with current technologies, business practices, and data uses.
Through reports, blog posts, legislative and policy analyses, webinars, in-person and virtual peer-to-peer gatherings, and educational programs, FPF helps the broader technology policy and governance community understand the mechanisms and strategies available to protect privacy, promote responsible AI development and deployment, and advance youth online safety. FPF does not typically support or oppose particular bills. Instead, the U.S. Legislation team focuses on explaining the practical and legal implications of proposals – individually and as they interact with one another. This work helps ensure that privacy, AI, and youth safety compliance and policy strategies remain future-looking, adaptable, and workable for the continued, beneficial use of data and AI.
FPF’s U.S. Legislation team is led by Tatiana Rice, Senior Director.
Swire Blog Post on TAP
Check out FPF Senior Fellow Peter Swire’s latest blog post on Technology, Politics, Academics (TAP) available here. Swire recaps the recent Congressional Internet Caucus event “New Internet Privacy Legislation: What the White House, Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission are Recommending.” The event began with a presentation by Maneesha Mithal (FTC) and then transitioned […]
May 17, 2012 – Congressional Internet Caucus Talks Privacy, TAP
On May 14, the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus hosted a lunch discussion to a standing-room crowd, entitled “New Internet Privacy Legislation: What the White House, Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission are Recommending.”
Blumenthal and Bono Mack Discuss Privacy, Cybersecurity Legislation
Last Thursday morning, Politico Pro presented a briefing focused on cyberprivacy and cybersecurity. Participating in the discussion were Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Dr. Thomas M. Lenard (President and Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute), and Tim Sparanpani (Principal at SPQR Strategies, PLLC). The briefing began with a discussion of […]
PCLOB Nomination Hearing
Last Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for nominees to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). The Board, created in response to the 9/11 Commission, is charged with making sure privacy and civil rights are protected for executive branch activities and measures. It consists of five members appointed by the […]
Swire Cybersecurity Op-Ed in The Hill
FPF Senior Fellow Peter Swire just published an op-ed in The Hill titled “Moving Too Fast on Cybersecurity.” In the piece, Swire cautioned against rushing cybersecurity legislation through Congress. To see the full op-ed, click here.
Context and Legitimate Basis: US-EU approaches to data processing
The Federal Trade Commission released its report on consumer privacy on Monday to provide policy recommendations for American businesses and legislators. Combined with the recently released Privacy Bill of Rights, the report helps lay out a path for the emerging comprehensive US data privacy framework. As the EU also advances a revision of its data […]
FPF Responds to FTC Release of Final Privacy Framework Report
Please see below for FPF’s comments on today’s release of the FTC Final Privacy Framework Report. Today’s report follows a preliminary staff report that the FTC issued in December 2010. Jules Polonetsky, Director and Co-Chair of the Future of Privacy Forum: “Although the FTC calls for legislation, the focus of the report is a strong […]
Georgetown Hosts Lawful Access to the Cloud Seminar
On Tuesday, Georgetown’s Law School hosted a Seminar titled “Lawful Access to the Cloud.” The seminar’s panelists grappled with how to find the right balance between civil liberties and legitimate law enforcement needs to access data in the cloud;. The morning’s first panel focused on lawful access to data in the U.S., and the second […]
White House Announces New Privacy Framework Including Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights
Yesterday, the White House released its long-awaited Privacy “White Paper” that outlines the Obama Administration’s proposal for a new American privacy framework. The more than year-long process that culminated in today’s release of the White Paper began in December 2010 when the Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force released a “Green Paper” entitled: “Commercial […]
Christopher Wolf Testifies Before The Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
Today, Christopher Wolf testified before The Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, chaired by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.). The hearing, titled “The Video Privacy Protection Act: Protecting Viewer Privacy in the 21st Century,” examined the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988. The act protects people’s right to control personal information about the […]