Leaders of #UnitedforPrivacy to Lay Out What’s At Stake for American Consumers and the Innovation Economy

Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, is kicking-off National Data Privacy Week by calling on Congress to pass a federal privacy law. The following can be attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:

“National Data Privacy Week is a reminder of the urgent need to pass a national privacy law that protects consumers no matter where they live while giving businesses certainty about their responsibilities. The internet is essential to America’s economic success. It creates millions of jobs, connects billions of people, and is the backbone of our 21st-century economy.

“Without a federal privacy law, the patchwork of state laws continues to grow. Since 2018, 43 states have introduced 133 different, often conflicting, privacy laws. This is confusing consumers and having a chilling effect on our economy, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that are struggling to keep up with an ever-changing compliance landscape.

“Consensus on any issue is hard to come by, but the need for federal privacy legislation is something Democrats, Republicans, and everyone in between agrees must be a top Congressional priority. One national privacy standard would shield our economy from a costly 50-state privacy patchwork, protect consumer data, and strengthen our data security standards. The time for action is now and we stand ready to partner with lawmakers from both parties to deliver a federal privacy law that works for America.”

National Data Privacy Week is an annual educational event to inform consumers, lawmakers, and business owners about the state of data privacy in America. This week, with partner organizations, TechNet will highlight the economic cost and the national and consumer security risks posed by the current lack of a federal privacy law. Building on the success of its #UnitedforPrivacy campaign, TechNet will bring to life the real-world effects of the status quo in data privacy.

For more information, go to technet.org/privacy.

Additional background:

  • Since 2018, 133 comprehensive privacy bills have been considered across 43 states, including 10 bills filed so far in 2023. By the end of the year, consumers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Virginia will all be regulated by different privacy laws. If this trend continues, a 50-state patchwork of privacy laws would cost our economy more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years, with more than $200 billion being paid by American small businesses.
  • More than 83 percent of all voters, including 86 percent of Democrats and 81 percent of Republicans, ranked privacy legislation as a “top” or “important” Congressional priority.
  • Last year, Congress made significant strides in passing comprehensive federal privacy legislation. The American Data Privacy and Protection Act passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a bipartisan vote of 53-2. While the bill still needs further refinements to address several key issues before becoming law, this was a watershed moment for enacting a uniform federal standard.