Silicon Valley Congressman Unveils Internet Rights Charter

To enact such legislation, Khanna recently unveiled a list of 10 principles constituting a draft Internet Rights Charter, which he hopes will inform important privacy laws to protect citizens. Americans in the digital age.

"Americans are very concerned about protecting their privacy online and about their online safety," Khanna told The Washington Post during an interview Friday. "They are counting on the US Congress to help put in place well-designed regulations to protect them in the cyber world."

This list contains the principles that many legislators, consumer advocates and technologists have long called for. The Charter of Internet Rights calls for network neutrality, consumer choice for Internet service providers, greater transparency of data collection practices by Web companies, prior consent to data collection and timely notification if a company holding personal data is hacked.

Khanna said he consulted leading experts, among others, to develop the principles, including Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World Wide Web, and Obama administration technology leaders Nicole Wong and Todd Park.

The New York Times has for the first time published a report on the Internet Bill of Rights.

Previous congressional attempts to enact data protection laws had not been successful, even after record-breaking data breaches that sparked public condemnation, such as the massive breach by Equifax revealed last year. the Cambridge Analytica Facebook scandal that erupted in March. But Democratic and Republican officials have suggested that the momentum has changed. "The question is no longer whether we need a national law to protect the privacy of consumers," said Senate Trade Committee Chairman John Thune (RS.D. ) Last month. "The question is what form this law should take."

The new privacy rules for data from Europe and the legislatures push the technology sector to the negotiating table. The recent adoption of California's privacy law has forced high-tech companies to comply with federal privacy rules, while other states risked the same restrictions on privacy. data collection. The EU's general data protection regulation, which came into effect in May, also pushed industry players to develop new, uniform rules, with technology giants like Google, Facebook and Apple updating their policies. data collection policies in order to comply with European legislation.

"Developing access to a secure and secure Internet and protecting consumers remains a top priority for House Democrats," said Taylor Griffin, spokesman for minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) In a statement to The Post.

Khanna said that Pelosi had asked him to start drafting the Bill of Rights six months ago, but that the work of transposing the principles into law will come under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Trade and Energy. at the next congress, he added.

Khanna acknowledged that the list was a work in progress, but he considered the action of Capitol Hill as the only way forward. "I am open to revisions and constructive criticism," he said. "What I think is inexcusable, is that Congress does not act."

The draft bill of rights states:

You should have the right:

1. have access to and knowledge of all the collection and use of personal data by businesses;

2. give consent to the collection of personal data by any party and the sharing of personal data with a third party;

3. where the context is appropriate and in a fair process, obtain, correct or delete personal data controlled by a company and ensure that such requests are honored by third parties;

4. secure personal data and be informed in a timely manner when a breach of security or unauthorized access to personal data is discovered;

5. move all personal data from one network to another;

6. to access and use the Internet without the ISPs blocking, limiting, setting paid priorities or otherwise unfairly promoting content, applications, services or devices;

7. Internet service without the collection of data that is not necessary to provide the requested service without prior consent;

8. have access to multiple viable, affordable and sustainable Internet platforms, services and providers with clear and transparent pricing;

9. not to be discriminated against or unfairly exploited on the basis of your personal data; and

10. to ensure that an entity that collects your personal data applies reasonable business practices and liability to protect your privacy.