The persistent surveillance under which most Americans reside appears likely to continue unabated after federal lawmakers pulled from consideration on

Surprise! The Latest ‘Comprehensive’ US Privacy Bill Is Doomed

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2024-06-28 02:00:03

The persistent surveillance under which most Americans reside appears likely to continue unabated after federal lawmakers pulled from consideration on Thursday a privacy bill that legal experts contend has little hope of protecting anyone’s privacy.

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.

The decision to cancel the hearing came amid news that House GOP leaders had vowed behind closed doors to scuttle the bill whether it was approved by the committee or not. But while the power of the pen ultimately rests in Republican hands, eighty-sixing Thursday’s session has also saved many Democrats from having to make the difficult decision to support a bill that was recently stripped of crucial civil rights protections.