Skip to main content

U.S. senator introduces radical bill to protect people’s private data

A U.S. senator has called for a radical new approach to consumer privacy to be adopted following recent revelations about the sale and misuse of data by various technology companies. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has introduced a new bill as an even stronger update to his privacy legislation proposed last year.

The new legislation titled the “Mind Your Own Business Act,” would give significant powers to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate the sale and sharing of data by companies. It would allow the FTC to establish privacy and security standards and to levy significant fines of up to 4% of annual revenue against companies that do not meet those standards. There would even be an option to impose criminal penalties onto company executives who knowingly lie to the FTC.

The legislation would also create a Do Not Track system, allowing people to opt-out of being tracked on the internet, and let them stop companies from selling or sharing their data. Plus companies would have to provide people with copies of their data for review and reveal with whom it has been shared or sold.

Taken together, these new rules would give people a “one-click way” to see which companies have data about them and how that data has been spread. Wyden argues that this legislation is necessary now, as companies like Facebook won’t seriously address privacy concerns until they are forced to.

“Mark Zuckerberg won’t take Americans’ privacy seriously unless he feels personal consequences,” Wyden said in a statement. “A slap on the wrist from the FTC won’t do the job, so under my bill, he’d face jail time for lying to the government. I spent the past year listening to experts and strengthening the protections in my bill. It is based on three basic ideas: Consumers must be able to control their own private information, companies must provide vastly more transparency about how they use and share our data, and corporate executives need to be held personally responsible when they lie about protecting our personal information.”

Bringing Facebook and other tech companies to account for their misuse of people’s data has been an uphill battle, but with mounting calls from politicians to break up the Big Four and increasing public awareness of privacy issues, the tide may be turning. Although the power of the technology lobby in Washington means Wyden’s bill is unlikely to ever become law, raising the prospect of GDPR-style legislation for the U.S. is a step along the road to a more robust system of privacy for Americans and others around the world.

Editors' Recommendations

Georgina Torbet
Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…
Will U.S. government force Facebook to decrypt Messenger?
facebook messenger

A United States District Court has sided with Facebook in its standoff with the Department of Justice over the government's attempts to wiretap voice calls in Messenger.

In August, three unnamed sources confirmed to Reuters that the U.S. government was trying to force Facebook's hand regarding the encryption on its Messenger app. The government wants the social media platform to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to listen in on a suspect's conversation during criminal investigations. Facebook refused the demand and the case was set for trial over the summer.

Read more
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial? Get a month of free delivery
Walmart logo.

If you shop at Walmart weekly, it's time to upgrade your shopping experience. If you almost never shop at Walmart, the Walmart Plus free trial is your chance to check out what the retail giant has to offer. Walmart Plus is basically Amazon Prime for Walmart. You get free shipping on most orders, early access to deals and new product drops (like PS5 restocks), the best grocery delivery, and more. If Walmart is your go-to option for the best smart home devices or the best tech products in general, you should get a membership. If you want to test out the service, you can sign up for a free trial. We have all the information you need right here.
Is there a Walmart Plus free trial?
There is a Walmart Plus free trial available, and it’s one of the best free trials we’ve seen in terms of how many great features and conveniences you’re able to access. This is really a reflection of how great the Walmart Plus service is, as the Walmart Plus free trial is essentially a 30-day experience of what it would be like to be a paid Walmart Plus subscriber. A Walmart Plus membership can help you save over $1,300 per year, so taking advantage of the 30-day free trial is a great way to get in there and see what those savings will look like. And if grocery delivery is what you're really after, an alternative you might consider is the Instacart free trial -- they have more than one program to try!

As part of a Walmart Plus free trial, you’ll get free shipping with no minimum order, so even small orders will qualify for free shipping. You’ll get fresh groceries and more with no delivery fees, and all at the same low in-store prices Walmart shoppers are used to. Walmart Plus members, and Walmart Plus free trial members, get exclusive access to special promotions and events, as well as a savings of up to 10 cents per gallon on fuel. A new addition to the perks of being a Walmart Plus member is free access to Paramount Plus, a top-notch streaming service with more than 40,000 TV episodes and movies. All of this is accessible for 30 days through a Walmart Plus free trial, and once those 30 days are up, Walmart Plus is just $12.95 per month or $98 annually.

Read more
How to download YouTube videos on PC, iOS, Android, and Mac
A smartphone displaying YouTube on its screen as it lays on top of a laptop's keyboard.

If you're a YouTube fan like us, you might want to know what the most viewed YouTube videos are, and how to download YouTube videos.

Downloading a video from YouTube doesn’t seem like a big deal at first glance, but it comes with ethical concerns to consider, depending on the original post’s intent. As we've already mentioned, it's something Google definitely doesn't want you doing — it's a clear violation of YouTube's Terms of Service, but it's even more important to keep the original content creators in mind.

Read more