Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC Commends Decision to Scrap American Privacy Rights Act Markup
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced the cancelation of a previously scheduled markup for a new version of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). The proposed markup omitted anti-discrimination provisions that would protect vulnerable communities from the misuse of their data.
Lia Nitake, Senior Director of Tech, Telecommunications, and Media Policy at Advancing Justice – AAJC issued the following statement in response:
“Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) is encouraged by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s decision to scrap the markup of the American Privacy Rights Act. Although this is a promising decision, we remain deeply concerned about the current state of the bill and call on members of Congress to reject any privacy legislation that does not restore vital civil rights provisions.
“Privacy rights and civil rights are intertwined and must be addressed together. The current lack of civil rights protections in the new version enables companies to use Americans’ data for discriminatory purposes. This has potential to result in discriminatory outcomes in housing, employment, and credit opportunities by introducing bias into decision-making.
“These harms are magnified for Asian Americans and other communities of color, who are vulnerable to privacy invasions, data breaches, and targeted disinformation. Without necessary guardrails, companies can use the information they collect to discriminate against individuals and communities – which in turn, hurts us all.
“While this is a positive step, we urge Congress to ensure that any comprehensive privacy legislation moving forward includes robust civil rights protections. Advancing Justice – AAJC remains committed to advocating for comprehensive privacy legislation that upholds the rights and dignity of all.
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