House passes bill that would bar data brokers from selling Americans’ personal information to ‘adversary’ countries

The Home of Representatives a measure focusing on information brokers’ means to promote Individuals’ private information to “adversary” international locations, like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The Defending Individuals’ Information from International Adversaries Act handed with a unanimous 414 – 0 vote.

The , which was launched alongside a measure that might drive a ban or sale of TikTok, would prohibit information brokers from promoting Individuals’ “delicate” information to individuals or entities in “adversary” international locations. Very like a current from President Joe Biden focusing on information brokers, the invoice particularly covers geolocation, monetary, well being, and biometric information, in addition to different personal info like textual content logs and cellphone name historical past.

If handed — the invoice will want Senate approval earlier than touchdown on Biden’s desk — it could characterize a big test on the comparatively unregulated information dealer trade. US officers have beforehand warned that China and different geopolitical rivals of the USA have already acquired huge troves of Individuals’ info from brokers and privateness advocates have lengthy urged lawmakers to manage the multibillion-dollar trade.

The invoice is the second main piece of bipartisan laws to return out of the Home Vitality and Commerce this month. The committee beforehand launched the “Defending Individuals from International Adversary Managed Purposes Act,” which might require TikTok to divest itself from mum or dad firm ByteDance or face a ban within the US. In , Representatives Frank Pallone and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, mentioned that the most recent invoice “builds” on their work to cross the measure focusing on TikTok. “At this time’s overwhelming vote sends a transparent message that we are going to not permit our adversaries to undermine American nationwide safety and particular person privateness by buying individuals’s personally identifiable delicate info from information brokers,” they mentioned.