WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) wrote a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan expressing their concern over Proposed Rule Making on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security.
“Consumer data privacy and security are complex issues which will require standards that are robust, adaptive, and can balance the interests of consumers with the needs of businesses. We believe that this balance can only be struck within federal legislation that is comprehensive and preemptive, such that the law creates a single national standard. Without federal preemption, any new privacy rules issued by the FTC would only add to the existing ‘patchwork’ of state privacy laws and create an additional layer of requirements for businesses. Rather than provide clarity to stakeholders, the proposed rulemaking action would only complicate the regulatory landscape in a way that would potentially increase the compliance costs for businesses, reduce competition, and create confusion,” wrote the senators.
They noted consumer privacy is top of mind for many constituents, particularly in our increasingly connected economy. Some states have taken action to create privacy and security standards for companies in their states. They stated Congress should consider and pass legislation that creates a consistent national standard that does not stifle innovation or create unreasonable barriers for small businesses all while protecting consumers. The FTC should not attempt to add confusing rulemaking on top of already incomplete data privacy regulations.
Click here to read the letter.