Van Hollen Introduces Legislation to Fully Restore Broadband Privacy Protections

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and nine other Senators in introducing legislation to restore broadband privacy rules that will protect consumers from having their personal, sensitive information sold without their consent.

"It's shameful that Congressional Republicans voted to allow Americans' personal information be sold to the highest bidder," said Senator Van Hollen. "This was a blatant giveaway to corporate special interests. We must fully restore consumer privacy protections without delay."

The legislation reinstates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, which require internet service providers to obtain consent before sharing their subscribers' sensitive information and adopt reasonable data security protections. Last month, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions, which President Donald Trump signed into law this week, formally rescinding the FCC's broadband privacy rules. Without these strong rules in place, broadband providers can use, share, and sell Americans' sensitive information without permission.

A copy of the legislation can be found here.

The following Senators are also co-sponsoring the bill:Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.).