A new privacy framework that expands and simplifies consumer data privacy rights, reduces compliance costs from existing state and federal regulations, and paves the way for more data-driven innovation is needed. Specifically, policymakers should champion comprehensive data privacy legislation to repeal and replace existing federal privacy laws with a common set of protections, preempt state laws, improve transparency requirements, strengthen enforcement, and establish a clear set of data privacy rights for Americans based on the sensitivity of the data and the context in which it is collected.
The United States does not have a single federal data privacy law. Instead, it has multiple federal and state laws that regulate the private sector, often focusing on particular sectors or types of data, with multiple regulatory authorities responsible for oversight. Crafting privacy legislation that balances key goals is more difficult, both conceptually and politically, but it is essential if policymakers do not want to derail the continued success of the U.S. digital economy.
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