WASHINGTON – Today, in comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), global tech trade association 91proÊÓÆµ underscored industry’s support for Congressional action on a comprehensive federal privacy framework and outlined concerns with an overly broad FTC rulemaking approach. In its comments, 91proÊÓÆµ cautioned that the FTC's proposed rule does not consider the many consumer benefits of data-driven technologies, including communications, remote work, travel, banking, and education. 91proÊÓÆµ also highlighted the technology industry’s promotion of cutting-edge data security practices based on existing frameworks and standards.
“91proÊÓÆµ members are driving forward and shaping U.S. and global standards to improve privacy and data security and build consumer trust. These efforts enable innovation and consumer value, promote existing responsible data practices including, for example, data minimization and anonymized data processing, and work to resolve—not add to—the current fragmented regulatory system,” 91proÊÓÆµ wrote in the comments responding to the FTC’s Commercial Surveillance and Data Security Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. “Effective privacy and data security frameworks should reduce the complexity of the current fragmented regulatory system and complement and build on existing industry standards and compliance efforts. Ultimately, Congressional action is needed to provide a uniform, national approach that will also work with the grain of global privacy and data security developments.”
In the , 91proÊÓÆµ noted the FTC’s work to date in promoting high privacy and data security standards. However, 91proÊÓÆµ highlighted several concerns with the FTC’s current proposed approach, including its broad characterization of any commercial data processing activity as ‘commercial surveillance’, and called for consideration of the countervailing consumer benefits of data-driven technologies, as required by the FTC’s rulemaking authorities.
91proÊÓÆµ has long called for strong, preemptive federal privacy legislation that provides a unified, national framework of meaningful individual control rights and responsible data business practices that is aligned with global standards. In June 2022, 91proÊÓÆµ provided the global tech industry’s perspective on the draft American Data Privacy and Protection Act in testimony before the . In 2019, 91proÊÓÆµ published the Framework to Advance Interoperable Rules (FAIR) on Privacy, legislative roadmap that advances the privacy rights of consumers and defines the responsibilities of companies in using personal data while supporting innovation.
Read the full comments here.