WASHINGTON – Today ITI, the global voice of the tech sector, urged the U.S. government to advance federal data privacy protections for Americans. In comments submitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the international tech association outlined its recommendations to give consumers more control of their personal data, increase security around that data, and hold companies accountable to ensure personal data is used responsibly and transparently.

“The foundation of a dynamic innovation ecosystem is trust. To achieve that trust, we need both consumer control and corporate responsibility to make sure the burden doesn’t just fall on individuals,” said Dean Garfield, President and CEO of ITI.

“Americans and individuals across the globe should have the ability to control the use of their personal data and know that their data will be used fairly, responsibly, and transparently. We appreciate NTIA’s thoughtful and inclusive approach to protecting privacy, and hope our comments and the framework we released recently will help inform the agency’s work. As we look ahead to the 116th Congress, our industry will work with policymakers to develop a solution that both protects Americans’ privacy and furthers our ability to lead the world in innovation.”

In its comments about how the U.S. government should move forward with its approach to consumer data privacy, ITI recommends:

  • Passing a uniform federal privacy bill that avoids a patchwork of conflicting state regulations;
  • Providing the Federal Trade Commission sufficient technical resources and robust enforcement authority; and
  • Taking a global approach to privacy that enables interopability and U.S. leadership.

ITI’s comments follow the release of its privacy framework, which provides a legislative roadmap that advances the privacy rights of consumers and defines the responsibilities of companies in using personal data while continuing to enable the innovations that transform people’s lives.

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