Moderate Democratic lawmakers back privacy bill favored by businesses

A group of centrist Democrats on Tuesday endorsed a privacy bill sponsored by one of their ranking members, which has received the support of many technology businesses.

The Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act is sponsored by Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), a vice chairwoman for the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats who describe themselves as being committed to “pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.”

The bill would give consumers the option to opt in to the collection, storage and sharing of their data and require companies to tell users if and with whom their sensitive information will be shared.

{mosads}It would also expand the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to pursue violations of the legislation.

DelBene, a former Microsoft executive, had 25 co-sponsors as of Tuesday but will now be able to count on support from the 104 House lawmakers in the coalition.

“I’m very pleased this critical legislation has received the support of my New Democrat colleagues,” DelBene said in a statement.

“Our coalition is about finding solutions to tough problems, and my legislation is an important step toward ensuring that consumers have more control over their most sensitive information,” she added.

Delbene’s office worked closely with industry groups like the Internet Association and the Software Alliance when crafting the bill.

It does not include some proposals Democrats have been floating, such as allowing individual consumers to sue companies and letting states experiment with their own approaches to data privacy. 

This article was updated at 10:45am