The Latest Attempt at a U.S. Privacy Law Is Dead ⇥ wired.com

Dell Cameron, Wired:

United States lawmakers who’ve flirted for years with the idea of offering Americans a semblance of control over their own data yanked at the last moment the latest iteration of a “comprehensive” privacy package that’s been subject to continual editing and debate for the better part of a decade. The bill, known as the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA), was scheduled for markup Thursday morning by the House Energy & Commerce Committee (E&C), which holds jurisdiction over matters of commercial surveillance.

Americans, if you do not like how Democrats diluted this bill to appease obstinate Republicans who still killed its chances, you should let your representative know.

The demise of this bill sucks because strong privacy rules in the U.S. would have a knock-on effect worldwide. It would mean the expectations of data collection, retention, and use would fundamentally shift. This bill was imperfect even in its original guise, but it was a meaningful positive step forward. My own government should learn from it.