{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden_warren-sanders-whitehouse-renew-push-to-protect-americans-sensitive-data-from-greedy-brokers", "Wyden,  Warren, Sanders, Whitehouse Renew Push to Protect Americans\u2019 Sensitive Data From Greedy Brokers", "2024-12-10", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", "wyden", "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said today they have reintroduced legislation banning data brokers from selling Americans\u2019 sensitive personal information.\n\nData gathered by brokers has been used to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, out LGBTQ+ Americans, and stalk and harass individuals. Recently, some brokers have been caught selling the cellphone-based location data of people visiting abortion clinics, risking the safety and security of women seeking basic health care.\n\nThe $200 billion industry is largely unregulated by federal law. Data brokers gather personal data, such as location data from weather or prayer apps, often without consumers\u2019 consent or knowledge. Brokers sell this data in bulk to virtually any willing buyer, reaping massive profits. These predatory and invasive practices pose real dangers to Americans\u2019 privacy and safety.\n\n\u201cThe ability to buy the information of women who visit abortion clinics and track them back to their homes is everything a repressive right-wing prosecutor could dream of,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t hypothetical either: far-right activists have already paid data brokers to target women who visit abortion clinics on their personal electronic devices with misinformation about their reproductive choices. It\u2019s high time for Congress to put privacy first and crack down on the shady data brokers who are selling sensitive personal data to make a quick buck.\u201d\n\n\u201cData brokers are raking in giant profits from selling Americans\u2019 most private information \u2013 even location tracking data from visits to clinics for reproductive care,\u201d Warren said. \u201cAs Republicans ramp up efforts to criminalize abortion, it\u2019s more important than ever to crack down on greedy data brokers and protect Americans\u2019 privacy.\u201d\n\nThe Health and Location Data Protection Act would:\n\nBan data brokers from selling or transferring health and location data and require the Federal Trade Commission to promulgate rules to implement the law within 180 days, while making exceptions for HIPAA-compliant activities, protected First Amendment speech, and validly authorized disclosures.\n\nEnsure robust enforcement of the bill\u2019s provisions by empowering the FTC, state attorneys general, and injured persons to sue to enforce the provisions of the law.\n\nProvide $1 billion to the FTC over the next decade to carry out its work, including enforcement of this law.\n\nText of the bill is here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden_warren-sanders-whitehouse-renew-push-to-protect-americans-sensitive-data-from-greedy-brokers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7722579650580883, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}