“The rapid expansion in collection and storage and analysis of data offers new frontiers of knowledge, innovation, and growth. But we are at a tipping point. A great many companies earn trust as responsible stewards of consumers’ personal information. Short of becoming digital hermits, it has gone beyond the ability of even the most sophisticated consumers to understand and control what information is collected. This uneven playing field gives rise to a market failure because outliers and bad actors that don’t follow the same practices as responsible actors are able to take advantage of consumers’ trust and lack of information.”
On May 9, 2012, General Counsel Cameron F. Kerry testified before the Senate Commerce Committee at a hearing on The Need for Privacy Protections: Perspectives from the Administration and the Federal Trade Commission. Speaking on behalf of the Administration, Mr. Kerry called for baseline consumer privacy legislation giving the force of law to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights as articulated by the Administration’s privacy blueprint, Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy.
A video of the hearing and Mr. Kerry’s full written testimony can be found on the Senate Commerce Committee’s website.
