U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. and Jon Ossoff, along with Representatives Lori Trahan and Chuck Edwards, have introduced the DELETE Act, which aims to safeguard the private online data of Americans. The act proposes the establishment of a system that allows individuals to request the deletion of their personal data from data brokers, who collect and utilize personal information for commercial purposes. Additionally, the act would prohibit these brokers from collecting the requested data in the future.
Dr Cassidy emphasized the importance of privacy in the online realm and stated that the bill provides Americans with a solution to prevent their personal data from being tracked, collected, bought, or sold by data brokers. Senator Ossoff highlighted that data brokers currently gather and sell extensive amounts of personal information without individuals’ consent, and the bipartisan bill seeks to return control of personal data to the American people.
Representative Trahan pointed out the challenges faced in removing personal information from data broker lists once it has been added and stressed the need to regulate the questionable practices of these brokers. The reintroduced DELETE Act aims to empower consumers by granting them the right to have their personal information removed from such lists. Representative Edwards echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the DELETE Act offers citizens a user-friendly platform to request the deletion of their personal information and halt further data collection by data companies. He highlighted that this bipartisan bill allows Americans to regain control over their personal information, a right they deserve. Under the DELETE Act, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would be tasked with creating an online dashboard enabling Americans to submit a single data deletion request, which would be distributed to all registered data brokers. Presently, individuals must individually request removal from each data broker to safeguard their privacy. The legislation would also establish a “do not track list” to shield taxpayers from future data collection.
