Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement after President Trump signed into law the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders (U.S. SAFE WEB) Act.
“As scammers and bad actors take advantage of American consumers during COVID-19, and the international data privacy landscape continues to change, we must do whatever we can to keep Americans’ data safe. The U.S. SAFE WEB Act will help do just that, and allow us to advance in today’s interconnected world securely and safely, by ensuring the Federal Trade Commission can continue their work combatting unfair and deceptive acts, as well as cyberattacks. We thank President Trump for signing this important bipartisan bill into law and will continue to work to protect American consumers," said Walden and Rodgers.
Background:
H.R. 4779, to extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders (US SAFE WEB) Act of 2006, was introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Rodgers (R-WA), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), and Robin Kelly (D-IL). H.R. 4779 reauthorizes the U.S. SAFE WEB Act - which amended the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act to improve the FTC’s ability to combat unfair or deceptive acts or practices that are international in scope - through FY 2027 and requires the FTC to issue a report to Congress describing the Commission’s use of and experience with the authority granted by the Act.
The U.S. SAFE WEB Act passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on Nov. 20, 2019 and out of the House on Dec. 16, 2019. It is the first bill from the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee to be signed into law this year.
Reps. Walden and Rodgers issued a statement following the European Court of Justice decision on the Schrems II case to strike down the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and FTC Chairman Joseph Simons urging them to work with European regulators following this decision.
