In the aftermath of the TikTok ban, a recent column from the Center for American Progress (CAP) has emphasized that Congress must take immediate action on privacy and children's safety to demonstrate its ability to enact substantial technology regulation.
The column highlights that despite numerous congressional hearings, the TikTok ban remains the only significant technological measure passed into law over the past six years. Regrettably, Congress has not taken any significant steps towards popular bipartisan proposals aimed at protecting data privacy and children's online safety.
"Congress must take the opportunity to pass meaningful bipartisan legislation on data privacy and children’s online safety," stated Adam Conner, Vice President for Technology Policy at CAP and author of the column. "Members of Congress and the Biden administration would be wise to have a robust accomplishment to tout around real data protections for Americans—not just a TikTok ban."
The column further discusses the necessity for a federal privacy law, which will serve as a foundation for any future AI regulation. It also elaborates on how the bipartisan American Privacy Rights Act proposed by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) presents a viable opportunity this year to pass meaningful legislation establishing a federal privacy law. The strong support in the Senate for several popular bipartisan children’s safety bills is also noted in the column.
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