Google, Amazon, Twitter, other Big Tech to Congress: New California data privacy rules too tough

Executives from Google, Twitter, AT&T, Amazon, Apple, and other big tech companies told a U.S. Senate panel today they support updating federal law to protect data privacy, but they want Congress to block California's tough new privacy rules.

The U.S. Commerce Department said earlier this week it is seeking comments on how to set nationwide data privacy rules, after The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect in May, and California adopted stringent new rules the following month.

From Reuters:

In June California Governor Jerry Brown signed data privacy legislation aimed at giving consumers more control over how companies collect and manage their personal information, which Alphabet Incs Google and other big companies had opposed as too burdensome. The rules take effect in 2020.

Amazon vice president Andrew DeVore said at the hearing that Californias law was hastily written and the laws definition of personal information goes beyond information that actually identifies a person. The result is a law that is not only confusing and difficult to comply with, but that may actually undermine important privacy-protective practices, he said.

Massive breaches of data privacy have compromised personal information of millions of U.S. internet and social media users, including notable breaches at large retailers and credit reporting agency Equifax Inc (EFX.N).

The Holy Grail is preemption of state rules, Schatz said. You are only going to get there if this is meaningfully done. He said Democrats would not replace a progressive California law with a non-progressive federal law.

One possibility: The FTC could be given new authority to write federal privacy rules. Read the rest