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Reporting underscores need for a national data privacy standard A new investigative report is out by the Wall Street Journal and the evidence is clear: Instagram connects and promotes accounts that are openly dedicated to the purchasing and selling of child sexual abuse materials. Instagram is allowing this content to spread in violation of both federal law and Meta’s own platform rules. The Journal’s reporting underscores the need to pass a national data privacy standard. It’s the best way to protect Americans online, especially kids, and hold Big Tech companies accountable for its dangerous algorithms. Top takeaways from the report: 1. Instagram’s algorithms actively promote illicit content. As reported by the WSJ: “Pedophiles have long used the internet, but unlike the forums and file-transfer services that cater to people who have interest in illicit content, Instagram doesn’t merely host these activities ... Instagram connects pedophiles and guides them to content sellers via recommendation systems .” “Even glancing contact with an account in Instagram’s pedophile community can trigger the platform to begin recommending that users join it.” 2. Instagram allows explicit hashtags which connect users to accounts that advertise child-sex material for sale. “The researchers found that Instagram enabled people to search explicit hashtags such as #pedowhore and #preteensex and connected them to accounts that used the terms to advertise child-sex material for sale.” 3. Instagram has allowed users to search for terms that its own algorithms know may be harmful or illegal content. WSJ: A screenshot taken by the Stanford Internet Observatory shows the warning and clickthrough option when searching for a pedophilia-related hashtag on Instagram. PHOTO: STANFORD INTERNET OBSERVATORY “In response to questions from the Journal, Instagram removed the option for users to view search results for terms likely to produce illegal images. The company declined to say why it had offered the option.” 4. Instagram’s parent company, Meta, admitted they are not enforcing their policies and have failed to combat inappropriate content. “Earlier this year, an anti-pedophile activist discovered an Instagram account claiming to belong to a girl selling underage-sex content, including a post declaring, ‘This teen is ready for you pervs.’ When the activist reported the account, Instagram responded with an automated message saying: ‘Because of the high volume of reports we receive, our team hasn’t been able to review this post.’ “A Meta spokesman acknowledged that Meta had received the reports and failed to act on them. A review of how the company handled reports of child sex abuse found that a software glitch was preventing a substantial portion of user reports from being processed, and that the company’s moderation staff wasn’t properly enforcing the platform’s rules, the spokesman said.” Energy and Commerce is leading on a federal data privacy and security law that establishes the strongest safeguards for kids’ online data, strengthens Americans’ data protections, and holds Big Tech accountable. As Chair Rodgers said in our data privacy hearing series, a national standard is a foundational piece of protecting children online. Our framework protects kids online by: Minimizing the sensitive data that is collected and retained on all Americans, including children   Treating all data on children under 17 as sensitive , meaning more robust protections for the collection and transfer of their personal information   Requiring assessments of Big Tech algorithms and how they harm children   Prohibiting targeted advertising to children under 17 years old CLICK HERE to read the full Wall Street Journal report. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) released a joint statement demanding answers from Instagram. Key excerpt: " “It is clear these companies cannot be trusted to protect children on their platforms, which is why the majority of parents want Congress to do more to strengthen protections for online safety. And they are right. The exploitation of children that this report revealed is indefensible, and we are determined to rein in these social media companies, starting with the passage of bipartisan privacy legislation.” Read more about the Energy and Commerce Committee's bipartisan efforts to strengthen data privacy and security protections for Americans: Protecting Kids’ Privacy with a National Data Privacy and Security Standard How Your Online Data is Being Abused to Surveil you and Violate Your Freedoms Expert Warns Data Brokers Profit from Unregulated Surveillance We’ve Waited Long Enough for a National Privacy Standard

Do you know how much personal information on you and your family is available online for d ata brokers to harvest without your knowledge?   Data brokers are aggregating your online information to build profiles on you and your family members, which they then sell to anyone willing to pay. That includes government agencies, which are paying these data brokers to spy on Americans, creating an ecosystem of surveillance that jeopardizes peoples’ data privacy and security, and violates our civil liberties.  HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS USING DATA BROKERS TO SPY ON AMERICANS:   A California County hired a data broker to track the location and number of people attending church during government-enforced COVID-19 lockdowns. The location data was so specific that the county was able to identify how many people visited each structure within the church’s property.  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used taxpayer dollars to hire a data mining and surveillance company to screen travelers , including U.S. citizens, by linking people’s social media posts to personal information like their Social Security number and location data. This is particularly troubling given DHS’ recent attempt to establish a disinformation governance board to surveil and censor Americans online.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) used a data broker company to collect personal data on investigative journalist Matt Taibbi who—through his Twitter Files reporting—was exposing the government's collusion with Big Tech to censor Americans and control what they see online. The IRS visited Taibbi’s home unannounced the same day he testified before Congress on the weaponization of the federal government.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) paid $420,000 to a data broker for access to Americans’ location data, which was harvested from tens of millions of Americans’ phones. This data was then used by the CDC to monitor whether Americans were complying with curfews and track who was visiting K-12 schools.  BOTTOM LINE: The Energy and Commerce Committee is investigating data brokers’ unrestrained collection of Americans’ data, and their ability to sell our most sensitive information to anyone including to government agencies. This is the type of behavior we would expect from the Chinese Communist Party—not the United States.   NEXT STEPS: The best way to protect Americans’ personal information online and end this surveillance state is with a comprehensive data privacy and security law, which would:  Give Americans more control over their data;   Bring these data brokers out from the shadows; Preserve law enforcement’s ability to protect their communities; and   Prevent the government from buying data from data brokers to violate people's civil liberties.   Read more about the Energy and Commerce Committee's bipartisan efforts to strengthen data security and privacy protections for Americans across the country, no matter where they live.   Expert Warns Data Brokers Profit from Unregulated Surveillance   We’ve Waited Long Enough for a National Privacy Standard  

With more Americans than ever using online apps and digital services, a stunning amount of information and personal data is being collected on you and potentially exploited by data brokers. Energy and Commerce is investigating how these companies are harvesting your data, selling or sharing it without your knowledge, and failing to keep it secure.  WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING: At an April 19 Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing , Justin Sherman, a Duke University Senior Fellow and Research Lead for the Data Brokerage Project, outlined the risks and dangers of continuing to let data brokers exploit your data without consequence, saying:   “Data brokerage is a threat to Americans’ civil rights, consumers’ privacy and well-being, and U.S. national security. The entire data brokerage ecosystem—from companies whose entire business model is data brokerage, to the thousands of other apps, advertisers, tech giants, and companies that collect, buy, sell, and share Americans’ personal data—profits from unregulated surveillance of every American, particularly the most vulnerable.”   INFORMATION COLLECTED BY DATA BROKERS: The best way to change the status quo and restore Americans’ control of their personal information is through a comprehensive data privacy and security framework, which will:  Protect your sensitive information online—like GPS, health, and mobile phone data—from being transferred to data brokers and sold without your knowledge to another private entity or government agency.   Prevent data brokers from aggregating your personal online information and selling that information to an employer or bank, who could then weaponize it to prevent you from getting a job or buying a home.  Restore your control over your personal online information by giving you the power to demand data brokers delete all of the information they’ve collected and stop further collection.  Require greater transparency around data brokers whose sole purpose is to covertly take money off of your information.   WHY IT MATTERS:  You are the product driving data brokers’ bottom line — these companies are willing to violate your civil liberties to turn a profit. This was made clear at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when data brokers collected Americans’ location data and sold it to federal and local government entities, including government entities in California and Washington, D.C. , as well as to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The information was then weaponized to spy on people during lockdowns to see who was attending activities, like church services, in person.  BIG PICTURE: Next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality will further deepen our reliance on online services and increase the amount of information collected. Without proper guardrails, that information can easily be sold to data brokers. Robust guardrails and a national privacy and data security standard would help prevent your information from being exploited further by these new technologies.  DON’T MISS: Last week, a bipartisan group of Energy and Commerce Committee Leaders sent letters to several data broker firms calling on them to be transparent about their data collection practices, selling practices, and the risks posed for Americans. The letters follow the April 19 Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing examining the role of data brokers in the digital economy.   From CNBC:   The letters ask whether the brokers consider any type of data to be off limits for them to buy or sell, what restrictions they put on data they share with third parties and how they verify the accuracy of the data they collect and distribute. Additional questions span from seeking to understand how much money the businesses make from selling data to how many sources they use to get that information.   Last month, the subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing with expert witnesses to examine “the role of data brokers in the digital economy.” The letters indicate the committee remains focused on this slice of the tech industry as it looks to pass comprehensive privacy legislation. It also shows that Congress is focused on a broader swath of companies than just the massive players like Google and Facebook that attract so much scrutiny.   CLICK HERE to read more. 

Energy and Commerce is leading on a federal data privacy and security law that strengthens Americans’ data protections and establishes the strongest safeguards for kids’ online data. As Chair Rodgers said in the latest hearing in our privacy series, a national standard is a foundational piece of protecting children online.   Our framework protects kids online and makes it tougher for their data to land in the hands of Big Tech and data brokers by :   Minimizing the data that is collected and retained on all Americans, including children Making it illegal to target advertising to children under 17 years old Treating all data on children under 17 as sensitive, meaning more robust protections for the collection and transfer of their personal information Requiring Big Tech to assess for how their algorithms harm children BIG PICTURE: Big Tech is manipulating, exploiting, and monetizing children.   Big Tech companies are collecting a stunning amount of data on everyone, including children—from physical and mental health, to their location, what they are buying, and what they are eating. To profit off children, these companies are using this data to build algorithms to keep kids hooked on their platforms.  These algorithms subject children to dangerous content and targeted advertisements that can lead to dangerous and life-threatening behaviors, like eating disorders and self-harm. The collection, retention, and sale of children’s data also exposes them to criminals, like drug dealers and sex traffickers, who have exploited features on these platforms—such as location sharing—to target children.  WHY IT MATTERS: Big Tech and data brokers are profiting from and manipulating children for nearly their entire adolescent lives. Half of American teens use the internet “almost constantly” and most kids have their own smartphones by age 11. The more time children spend on their screens, the more companies are able to collect, retain, share, and use data to build profiles on them. Teens and young adults who spend more time using social media report lower psychological well-being, lower life satisfaction, less happiness, more feelings of loneliness and isolation, and more depression.  The best and strongest way to ensure kids are safe online and prevent Big Tech from manipulating them is with a comprehensive national data privacy and security law.  DON’T MISS: Parents whose children have been harmed by Big Tech are raising the alarm to E&C. They’re calling on Congress to act so other parents don’t experience their pain. READ MORE .   In addition, child privacy protection advocates agree a national standard is a key way to protect kids online.  "ADPPA... provides the strongest possible safeguards for the online data of kids and teens. Establishing strong data privacy protections is a critical step toward making today's internet healthier and safer for young users... the kids' protections in [ADPPA]… are stronger than current federal law, stronger than California law, and stronger than when the bill was first introduced.” — Common Sense Media   ADPPA stands for the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, which passed the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Committee members have participated in six data privacy hearings already this year and will be considering an updated data privacy and security standard.  RELATED:   WATCH Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) tell Big Tech CEOs that their platforms are her biggest fear as a parent.  CLICK HERE for more on why privacy experts are saying America needs a national data privacy standard.

Washington, D.C. —  House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered opening remarks at today’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing titled “ Who is Selling Your Data: A Critical Examination of the Role of Data Brokers in the Digital Economy .” Excerpts and highlights below: DATA BROKERS ARE INVADING PEOPLE’S PRIVACY “This is our fifth in our series of hearings this Congress across the Committee for strong data privacy and security protections for all Americans. “Today, we seek to expose and learn more about how pervasive and invasive the collection and selling of people’s data has become. “Data brokers are harvesting people’s data, selling or sharing it without their knowledge, and failing to keep it secure. “A stunning amount of information and data is being collected on Americans—their physical health, mental health, their location, what they are buying, what they are eating. “With more Americans than ever using apps and digital services, this problem is only getting worse. “People have no say over whether and where their personal data is sold and shared. “They have no guaranteed way to access, delete, or correct their data and, they have no ability to stop the unchecked collection of their sensitive personal information. “We must continue our work for a national data privacy standard so that individuals can exercise their rights, businesses can continue to innovate, and the government’s role is clearly defined.” “Today we explore ways that we have become just dollar signs for data brokers and Big Tech. “We need a national data privacy standard that changes the status quo and ensures Americans regain control of their personal information. “Right now, there are no robust protections and current privacy laws are inadequate, leaving Americans vulnerable. “For example, during government-enforced COVID-19 lockdowns, GPS and mobile phone data collected by a data broker was used by the state to spy on Californians exercising their right to attend church services. “It certainly raises questions of how data brokers aren’t just violating people’s privacy but their civil liberties as well. “This isn’t acceptable. It’s what you would expect in the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillant state, not in America.” WHY WE NEED A NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY STANDARD “Data brokers’ days of surveilling in the dark should be over. “People should trust their data is being protected. “We are at an inflection point to ensure our personal information is responsibly collected especially since this data may be used to train and develop artificial intelligence that may or may not align with our values. “We need to ensure that the metaverse doesn’t become the next frontier for exploiting our kids. “That requires a broad comprehensive bill that will address all Americans’ data and put even stronger guardrails around our kids’ information. “That’s why the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) included the strongest internet protections for children of any legislation last Congress. “And privacy protections should not stop with kids. “We need a federal privacy law that gives everyone data protections—no matter where they live and no matter their age. “We will continue to build on our work from ADPPA this Congress and get these strong protections for kids and all Americans signed into law. “Thank you, Ranking Member Pallone and my colleagues across the aisle, for continuing to work with us. “I look forward to today’s hearing as we continue to explore how data collectors and brokers are manipulating our lives and our security.”

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) delivered the following opening remarks during today’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing titled “ Who is Selling Your Data: A Critical Examination of the Role of Data Brokers in the Digital Economy .” Excerpts and highlights below: DATA BROKERS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S PRIVACY “Welcome everyone to what I hope will be a productive, fact-finding hearing on the current state of the data broker ecosystem. “It is obvious from the testimony that a staggering amount of information is collected on Americans, every day, frequently without their knowledge or consent. “This data then gets shared, analyzed, combined with other data sets, bought and sold. “In some cases, this data is not even anonymized, meaning that is easy for bad actors to find deeply personal information on individuals such as their location, demographic data, and health information. “Some of these data brokers are companies that most people are familiar with, but others operate in the shadows, with many Americans never knowing that they have collected, bought, or sold their data. “The Federal Trade Commission recently fined an online mental healthcare company, BetterHelp, $7.8 million for disclosing patients’ personal health information to advertising platforms such as Facebook and Google without the users’ consent. “Siphoning off private data of Americans on mobile apps is so incredibly easy, all a data broker has to do is pay an app developer a nominal fee to implant a program within the app that is designed to capture the data of all users. “Companies rely on these convoluted and unclear terms of service and privacy policy documents, knowing full well users will find it far too tedious to read them before unwittingly agreeing to have their sensitive data accessed by third party strangers.” THE NEED FOR NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY PROTECTIONS “There is a complete lack of safeguards surrounding this data and I am particularly concerned with the implications that has on the sick, the elderly, the youth, and the military. “Recent research from Duke University has found data brokers, without any accountability, can freely collect and share Americans’ private mental health data. “We have all heard about the national security concerns raised about the Chinese Communist Party-influenced ByteDance, the parent company of the TikTok video app operating in our country and collecting data on Americans while also having the ability to potentially manipulate American public opinion on any given subject. “Well, the current state of play in the data broker industry presents some of those same concerns. “According to what we will hear today from these our invited experts, data brokers gather, package, and advertise highly sensitive data on current and former members of the US military, posing privacy and safety risks to all servicemembers. “This, in and of itself, could be considered a security risk if the data collected is identifiable. “By collecting and selling data at will, these companies put all Americans at risk. “I look forward to learning from our witnesses today more about how data brokers are collecting, packaging, and analyzing data on Americans and possible safeguards that should be explored.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered opening remarks at today’s Communication and Technology subcommittee hearing titled “ Preserving Free Speech and Reining in Big Tech Censorship .” Excerpts and highlights below: THE IMPORTANCE OF FREE SPEECH “I want to begin today by celebrating why Americans cherish our most fundamental right of free speech. “It is how ‘We, the People’ innovate, create new things, make our own arguments stronger, and engage in the battle of ideas to make our communities better. “Perhaps, most importantly, it is the strongest tool people have to hold the politically powerful accountable. “That is why regimes across the world shut down free speech, arrest journalists, and limit people’s rights to question authority. “Free speech is foundational to Democracy. It’s foundational to America.” BIG TECH IS SHUTTING DOWN FREE SPEECH “Big Tech is shutting down free speech. “Its authoritarian actions violate Americans’ most fundamental rights to engage in the battle of ideas and hold the politically powerful accountable. “For the crime of posting content that doesn’t fit the narrative they want people to see, hear, or believe, Big Tech is flagging, suppressing, and outright banning users from its platforms. “Today, we are joined by several of these people who’ve been silenced by Big Tech. They will have a voice before our subcommittee. “Big Tech proactively amplifies its allies on the Left while weakening any dissent, creating a silo, an echo-chamber, a place where only the ‘right’ ideas as determined by a ‘faceless algorithm’ or ‘a few corporate leaders,’ are allowed. “House Energy and Commerce Republicans have repeatedly condemned these censorship actions. “Even if the challenges to mainstream media turn out to be correct, as was the case with the Hunter Biden laptop story.” BIG TECH’S GOVERNMENT COLLUSION “What’s worse is the government collusion with Big Tech companies to censor disfavored views and be the gatekeepers of truth. “Who deserves to be the arbiters of truth? Big Tech companies and government officials? “That sounds like actions taken by the Chinese Communist Party. “We had the CEO of TikTok before this Committee last week, where we exposed them for their ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and the censorship TikTok does on its behalf. “Let me be clear: government sponsored censorship has no place in this country, and it never will.” REFORMING SECTION 230 “A healthy marketplace of ideas is integral to everyday American life and a healthy democracy. “Social media is a place for us to connect with friends, and a place where we should be able to share our views and learn from each other. “Big Tech companies in America have benefited from the liability protections given to them by Congress under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. “As a result, they should be a forum for public discourse, and a place for people to openly debate all ideas. “But instead, censorship on their platforms shut down these debates, and risks a long-lasting stain on our society by undermining the spirit of the First Amendment.” PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN “At the same time this censorship is happening, Big Tech is failing to invest in tools to protect our kids. “Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, their platforms are riddled with predators seeking to sell illicit drugs laced with fentanyl and exploit our innocent children. “Over and over, I hear from parents who have lost a child due to targeted content by a social media platform and yet instead of addressing this, Big Tech chooses to focus on shutting down certain speech. “I have said it before, and I will say it again: Big Tech remains my biggest fear as a parent, and they need to be held accountable for their actions. “President Joe Biden and his administration are on a dangerous authoritarian mission to institutionalize censorship of American voices and control the narrative to benefit their political agenda. “They’ve admitted to flagging ‘problematic’ content for Big Tech companies to censor. “The CDC, the Surgeon General, the Department of Homeland Security, and others have been involved in these efforts to silence Americans. “We also know these companies sought to establish a Disinformation Governance Board with DHS to monitor and censor Americans online. “This hearing provides us an opportunity to hear from some of those silenced by Big Tech censorship. “Americans deserve to have their voices heard.”

Washington, D.C. —  Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) delivered the following opening remarks at today’s hearing titled “ Preserving Free Speech and Reining in Big Tech Censorship .” Excerpts and highlights below: FREE SPEECH IS THE CORNERSTONE OF DEMOCRACY “I’d like to begin this hearing with this simple statement: free speech is the cornerstone of democracy. “In fact, it’s free speech that separates the United States from the monarchies of yesterday and the authoritarian governments of today. “When we discuss the importance of free speech in the 21st century, it’s impossible to ignore the large-scale, online platforms from which our ideas are shared and heard most frequently: social media. “For better or worse, social media has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. “It has allowed us to connect with people all over the world and express our thoughts to a wider audience than ever before. “Its vast online reach expands from coast to coast, and across ‘almost’ all nations.” THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF BIG TECH “But as social media companies have grown over the years, so has the influence of Big Tech. “It’s a scary truth, but the power these companies have to influence public debate has become increasingly emboldened. “In fact, Big Tech companies have the ability to influence almost every part of our lives. “They can determine what a user sees, hears, or learns and can even target what they purchase online. “Now more than ever, we see online platforms engaging in the wrong types of content moderation. This includes removing content of opposing viewpoints that aids in important public discourse, and amplifying content that enables drug trafficking, promotes self-harm, and endangers children. “In recent years, online platforms have had the capabilities to remove duly elected officials and block trusted news stories from emerging. “When this type of censorship is used to silence dissenting voices, it can have a damaging effect on democracy and public discourse.” SECTION 230 “At the dawn of the internet, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provided vital protections for internet start-ups to engage in content moderation and removal without fear of being sued for content posted by their users. “Section 230 has been the foundation of the modern Internet, allowing the Internet economy to bloom into what it has become today. “However, Section 230 is outdated. The law was enacted in 1996 when print newspapers were delivered to every household and before the creation of social media and explosion of online content. “It has been interpreted by the Courts to provide a blanket liability shield to all online platforms. “As a result, it lacks the nuance needed to hold today’s digital world accountable, especially as the power of AI-backed algorithms continue to evolve. “Big Tech’s role in directing and amplifying the type of content that is served to users is becoming increasingly apparent. “While all tech companies should strive to uphold American values in their content moderation practices, not all tech companies face the same challenges. “For instance, small businesses still need the protection of Section 230 to grow into vibrant members of the eCommerce community and to compete with Big Tech companies, like Google and Facebook. “Small online businesses deserve the same benefit of protection that Big Tech companies received when they first started out. “But as they grow, so does their responsibility to protect our kids and all their users across America. “As this subcommittee continues to consider Section 230 reform legislation, we must strike a delicate balance. “For too long, Big Tech platforms have acted like publishers—instead of platforms for free speech and open dialogue—so they must be treated as such. “I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and working with my colleagues to reform Section 230 so we can hold Big Tech accountable and preserve Americans’ freedom of speech.”

Following the Energy and Commerce Committee’s hearing with TikTok, Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) joined Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union to talk about TikTok and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) urgent threat to our national and personal security. She told Tapper that TikTok’s testimony placed “more urgency on us passing a national data privacy law to protect [America] from the next technological tool or weapon that China may put together.” Excerpts and highlights of Chair Rodgers’ interview below: TIKTOK MUST BE BANNED “What the hearing made clear to me was that TikTok should be banned in the United States of America to address the immediate threat and we also need a national data privacy law. “Mr. Chew said that the data that they are amassing on Americans is accessible by the CCP. “He was asked about ByteDance spying on Americans and he responded, ‘oh, well, I wouldn't describe it as spying.’ “What we are seeing is that TikTok and Mr. Chew have repeatedly been caught in this lie, that there's not a connection to ByteDance and ultimately, the CCP.” TIKTOK CANNOT BE TRUSTED “What we do have evidence of is that TikTok cannot be trusted to... protect our data and they cannot be trusted to ensure that our children's mental health is a priority.” E&C LEADING ON A NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY STANDARD “We need to address the immediate threat that TikTok poses because it is it is ultimately the Chinese Communist Party accessing data. “We need a national data privacy standard also and that's what Ranking Member Pallone and I have worked on and we're going to introduce this Congress because we need to take action. “Whether it's TikTok, Big Tech, or other data brokers to restrict the amount of data that they're collecting to begin with, we need to ensure that individuals have the right to know what their profile might be or to be alerted if their information, their personal data is being accessed or transferred to another country like China. “We need to protect kids and we have the strongest protections for kids in the privacy proposal that we have been working on to protect anyone under the age of 17. “We need to stop this listening on devices of people. Our bill would say you cannot listen to conversations on an app or on your device without people actually having given you the permission.”