Consumer Reports submitted comments on the FTC’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Commercial Surveillance and Data Security. We urged the FTC to take action to rein in harmful data practices by promulgating the following regulations:
- Data Surveillance Rule: Companies required to limit data processing to what is reasonably necessary to fulfill a consumer request, with narrow exceptions. Companies should also be prohibited from offering differential treatment to consumers who refuse consent for additional secondary data processing.
- Data Security Rule: Companies should be required to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices to safeguard personal information.
- Nondiscrimination Rule: Companies should be prohibited from discriminating against protected classes in the provision of economic opportunities or public accommodations.
- Access, Correction, Portability, and Deletion Rule: Companies should offer consumers the right to access, correct, move, and delete their data with limited exceptions.
- Transparency Rule: Companies should provide standardized and simple instructions to users on how to take advantage of new legal rights, and large companies should be required to provide detailed information about data processing practices.