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.
House Hearing on Consumer Privacy
“It’s the reputational harm that we are all concerned about,” said Chairwoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) at today’s hearing, the fourth in a series of hearings on online privacy. Members of U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade were in disagreement over how to best protect consumers online as consumer attitudes toward privacy […]
FPF Advisory Board Makes Up 2/3 of Witnesses at Hearing
Today, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has a hearing entitled “Understanding Consumer Attitudes About Privacy.” Four of the six witnesses appearing before the subcommittee are Advisory Board members (or, in the case of Microsoft, representing a company whose CPO is on our Advisory Board).
Hearing Discusses Proposed Revisions to COPPA
FPF was in attendance at the hearing yesterday chaired by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), entitled, “Protecting Children’s Privacy in a Electronic World.” Members of the Subcommittee showed their overwhelming support for the FTC’s efforts to better protect children in their proposed revisions to COPPA. Rep. Bono Mack stated that FTC had hit the “sweet […]
Special Guest Post by Robert Ellis Smith
We loved this article by Robert Ellis Smith, noted privacy expert and publisher, Privacy Journal, and republish it here with his permission. Privacy Journal offers our readers a beginning rate of $65 for the next year, a 50 percent discount. The newsletter is available in hard copy by U.S. mail or pdf by email. Please place […]
House SubCommittee Looks at Proposed Revisions to COPPA
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently revealed its proposed amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). COPPA requires that operators of websites or online services notify parents and obtain their consent when collecting, using, or disclosing the personal information of children under the age of 13. FPF shares the FTC’s visions to protect […]
Privacy Legislation Low on Legislators' List of Priorities
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) participated in the State of the Net West conference on Tuesday of this week where she said prospects were bleak for any privacy legislation to make it through Congress this year. Even though online privacy tops Eshoo’s list of technological priorities, she believes it lands differently on Congress’ list. With debates […]
FTC fines app-maker over kids' privacy
Sen. Jay Rockefeller today commended the FTC for cracking down on an app-maker for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act but also called on the commission to finish revising the rules to keep pace with evolving technology. “The FTC’s enforcement action sets a legal precedent that mobile applications targeting children must abide by the […]
Center for American Progress Hosts Program on “Do Not Track” with Focus on Kids
With a room filled to capacity this morning, the Center for American Progress hosted a special presentation entitled “Tracking: Where You Are, What You See, and What to Do.” Neera Tanden, the Chief Operating Officer for Center for American Progress moderated the panel which featured a keynote by FTC Commissioner Julie Brill. Panelists included FPF […]
"Why privacy legislation is hot now"
Colleague Peter Swire has an article published in today’s publication of The Hill discussing the growth of privacy legislation today, see the full article here.
Senator Leahy (D-VT) Makes Keynote Address at CFP on Thursday (June 16, 2011)
Today Senator Leahy (D-VT) made a brief keynote address at the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference at the Georgetown Law Center (CFP). Senator Leahy urged that we must “modernize” the legal framework to stay apace with the technology of today’s age. He discussed the numerous recent data breaches, and quoted statistics indicating the hundreds of […]