On March 1^st Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chairs the House committee in charge of internet regulations, held a committee meeting where she asked her colleagues to support a bill that would restrict how tech companies may collect and use consumers’ personal data. “Americans have no say over whether and where their personal data is sold and shared,” McMorris Rodgers said. “We have a shared goal here. We’re going to continue this work and we’re going to get it done in this Congress.”

Chair McMorris Rodgers went on to say, “This isn’t acceptable. Data brokers and Big Tech’s days of operating in the dark should be over.” She noted that Wednesday’s hearing was the 31st one the committee has conducted on consumer privacy in the past five years, but despite bipartisan agreement on hot-button privacy issues, more work will need to be done to yield an actual law. Following the hearing, McMorris Rodgers said data privacy is “an issue that transcends party politics,” and indicated she intends to amend the House bill. “We’re in the majority,” she said. “The bill from last year will be the base bill, but there will be some changes in light of the Republicans having the majority.”

TikTok CEO to Testify During Next Meeting

There is certainly support from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, but many of the current obstacles were largely ignored. TikTok, the mobile application that’s been a hot topic in the privacy world, will send CEO Shou Zi Chew to testify before the committee on March 23^rd. Both sides of Congress have expressed concern over the app’s privacy and national security issues. Tapping into this bipartisan issue during the next meeting could garner additional support for the ADPPA.

Both Democrats and Republicans want to move the bill out of the House quickly and put pressure on the Senate. There will surely be additional hiccups along the road, but Truyo joins lawmakers in an optimistic outlook on pushing privacy across the finish line this Congress.