Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

Recent Congressional hearings and testimony have focused on the scope of data shared and harvested by technology companies. But many of the laws that govern data privacy were developed before the widespread adoption of online communications and social media accounts. Should consumers be in charge of self-regulating what they share and how companies use it? What policy opportunities could Congress consider to better protect consumer data?

In this RAND Congressional briefing, Rebecca Balebako and John S. Davis discuss:

• Benefits and risks of data sharing
• Opportunities for protecting privacy at both the personal and industry level
• Current U.S. laws, how they compare to European laws, and considerations for Congress