Lawmakers claim progress on online privacy bill | TheHill – The Hill

Key lawmakers maintainedTuesday that they are makingprogress in their efforts to put together the country's first comprehensive online privacy bill after hitting several bumps in Congress late last year.

At the tech-funded State of the Net conference in Washington, D.C., lawmakers on the relevant House and Senate committeessignaledtheyaregrapplingwith the same obstacles that resulted in Democrats and Republicans putting out separate versions of a privacy bill last year but insistedthey're still dedicated tobipartisan negotiations.

"Im continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get a bill that will get us across the finish line," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger WickerRoger Frederick WickerHillicon Valley: UK allows Huawei to build 5G in blow to Trump | Lawmakers warn decision threatens intel sharing | Work on privacy bill inches forward | Facebook restricts travel to China amid virus Lawmakers claim progress on online privacy bill GOP senator asks tech audience for sympathy over Trump impeachment trial's no phone rule MORE (R-Miss.) said during his keynote address.

Last year, Wicker and his Democratic counterpart on the committee, ranking member Sen. Maria CantwellMaria Elaine CantwellHillicon Valley: UK allows Huawei to build 5G in blow to Trump | Lawmakers warn decision threatens intel sharing | Work on privacy bill inches forward | Facebook restricts travel to China amid virus Lawmakers claim progress on online privacy bill Senators fret over lack of manpower to build 5G MORE (D-Wash.),offered dueling versions of legislation to create more privacy for Americans online. Cantwell's legislation "was a pretty goodbill," Wicker said, but "any privacy bill will need bipartisan support to become law."

Cantwell, alongside a group of Democratic members of the committee, released a proposal in December that included several provisionsseen as non-starters for Republicans. Cantwell's bill would allow individuals to sue companies for violating their privacy rights, a provision called the "private right of action," while Wicker's bill would not allow individual people to sue.

Meanwhile,Wickers bill would override any state privacy laws, including the tough California law that went into effect in January, a provision that has been the target of Democratic skepticism.

"Theres always room for conciliation and compromise," Wicker told reporters on Tuesday afternoon as he defended his bill. "Clearly, theres going to have to be some give-and-take. I think everyone wants a good, strong protection for consumers."

Meanwhile, the top Republicanworking on acomprehensive privacy bill in the House, Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Wash.), acknowledged "other efforts" to work up a privacy bill "have fallen apart this Congress."

"But it needs to happen," McMorris-Rodgers, the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee focused on privacy, said during a discussion at the conference.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee in December unveiled afirst draft oftheir bipartisanfederal privacy bill, though they left several controversial issues off the table. They have solicited broadfeedback on the staff-level draft over the past month.

The chairwoman of the consumer protection subcommittee, Rep. Jan SchakowskyJanice (Jan) Danoff SchakowskyHillicon Valley: UK allows Huawei to build 5G in blow to Trump | Lawmakers warn decision threatens intel sharing | Work on privacy bill inches forward | Facebook restricts travel to China amid virus Lawmakers claim progress on online privacy bill House Democrats may call new impeachment witnesses if Senate doesn't MORE (D-Ill.), saidthey have received over 90 comments so far "and they're still coming in."

"A lot of people on all sides are really not happy," Schakowsky said. "We're in the process right now of processing all of that."

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Lawmakers claim progress on online privacy bill | TheHill - The Hill