The
proposal, which Democrats plan to include in a $3.5 trillion
spending measure, would fund a new bureau over 10 years to
address "unfair or deceptive acts or practices relating to
privacy, data security, identity theft, data abuses, and related
matters," according to a summary released by the House Energy
and Commerce Committee.
The committee will meet on Monday to take up the wide-ranging
spending proposal that includes $30 billion to remove lead pipes
and $13.5 billion for zero emissions vehicle infrastructure
buildout.
Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, said
in a statement it was "long past time that the FTC have the
tools it needs to keep pace with the online marketplace and
those who would undermine it."
"Creating a privacy bureau is an important step in protecting
consumers," she said, adding that a federal privacy and data
security law that protects consumers and creates certainty for
businesses is still needed.
The FTC, which enforces antitrust law, has picked up the job of
pushing corporations to better protect consumer data and privacy
as it enforces rules against deceptive practices.
For example, in 2020, it settled with Zoom over allegations that
the company misled consumers about the level of security it
provided. The company agreed to improve its security as part of
a settlement.
The Energy and Commerce bill would also direct $3 billion for
the costs of providing direct government loans to produce
"zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles, trains or
locomotives, maritime vessels, aircraft, or hyperloop
technology."
It would direct $1 billion "for domestic manufacturing
conversion grants relating to domestic production of
zero-emission vehicles."
The bill also would spend $10 billion on supply chain resilience
projects including "demonstrating technological advances for
critical manufacturing supply chains."
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Diane Bartz; Editing by
Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel)
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