WASHINGTON, DC - President Obama today signed into law H.R. 6131, a bill to reauthorize the U.S. Safe Web Act of 2006. This legislation, spearheaded by Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Ranking Member G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), will extend this important consumer protection law for another seven years. The U.S. Safe Web Act gives the Federal Trade Commission additional administrative tools to protect consumers from increased threats of cross-border fraud, spam, and spyware. The House approved H.R. 6131 by voice vote on September 11 and the Senate followed suit and passed the measure on November 14.
Upon President Obama signing the bill, Bono Mack said, “This is a win-win. It’s good for American consumers. It’s good for the future of e-commerce. And it’s the right thing to do for our nation and our friends around the world. With nearly 1.5 billion credit cards in use in the United States, nearly everyone in America has a stake in making certain that the FTC has the powers it needs to fight online fraud."
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) added, “Extending this important crime-fighting law helps ensure consumers are well protected as folks spend more and more of their time online. I commend Chairman Bono Mack for her leadership in advancing this important bipartisan legislation that is now law."
