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Breaking News: New Legislation Aims to Protect Online Privacy

Senate Passes Bill to Limit Data Collection and Sharing

Key Provisions Include Opt-In Consent and Limits on Targeted Advertising

Washington, D.C. (March 15, 2023) – The Senate has passed a landmark piece of legislation aimed at protecting online privacy and data rights. The bill, known as the Online Privacy Protection Act (OPPA), prohibits companies from collecting or sharing personal information without the individual's explicit consent.

Under the new law, individuals will have the right to opt in to data collection and sharing. Opt-in consent is a significant departure from the current practice of opt-out consent, where individuals must actively decline to have their data collected or shared.

The bill also limits targeted advertising based on personal information. Companies will only be allowed to target advertisements based on broad categories such as age or location, rather than individual-level data.

“This legislation is a major step forward for protecting privacy in the digital age,” said Senator Lisa Thomas (D-California), the bill's sponsor. “Consumers should have the right to control their own data and decide how it is used.”

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. If passed by the House and signed into law by the President, the OPPA would become the most significant privacy legislation in the United States since the passage of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act in 1998.