Privacy doesn’t stop at state or country borders, which is why a unified set of rules for protecting consumer and data privacy is needed.
The technology industry believes that comprehensive federal privacy rules are needed to protect consumers’ data and protect against the loss of trust and security in our online ecosystem. Encryption plays a vital role in protecting data security and privacy and the industry supports the mission of law enforcement and national security agencies to protect our citizens and country. Technology companies are developing new ways of protecting critical data and consumer privacy through encryption technologies that are more secure against cyberattacks. They are also empowering consumers to increasingly understand their data and feel confident in the protection of their online information, profiles and accounts.
Good policy means supporting comprehensive federal privacy rules and amending the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to require warrants for content regardless of its age or how it is stored. It means securing an agreement with the European Commission on U.S. data transfers and, more broadly, developing enforceable ways to help the cross-border transfer of data to ensure consumers’ privacy. And it means prioritizing international consensus for reconciling law enforcement and national security’s interests with the protection of individuals’ data.