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H.R. 1816·117th Congress·House Bill

Information Transparency & Personal Data Control Act

IntroducedTrack

Latest action (11 Mar 2021): Introduced

What this bill does

Plain-English summary

Generate a neutral, plain-English explanation of what this bill does, who it affects and what happens next — grounded in the official text.

Official summary

Information Transparency & Personal Data Control Act This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish requirements for certain entities when they collect, transmit, store, process, use, or otherwise control sensitive personal information. Information relating to an identifiable individual is generally considered sensitive personal information. However, information that is publicly available is not considered sensitive. Specifically, these entities must (1) obtain affirmative consent from users for functionality related to the disclosure of sensitive personal information, (2) publish a privacy and data use policy that is readily understandable, (3) provide users the ability to opt-out of the sharing of their nonsensitive information, and (4) obtain at least once every two years a privacy audit that evaluates the sufficiency of the entity's data privacy and security controls. These requirements do not apply to the collection or sharing of sensitive or nonsensitive personal information for certain purposes such as detecting fraud or identity theft.

The bill provides authority for the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce these requirements.

Additionally, the FTC must hire 500 new employees to focus on privacy and data security.

Common questions

What does H.R. 1816 do?
Information Transparency & Personal Data Control Act This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish requirements for certain entities when they collect, transmit, store, process, use, or otherwise control sensitive personal information. Information relating to an identifiable individual is generally considered sensitive personal information. However, information that is publicly available is not considered sensitive. Specifically, these entities must (1) obtain affirmative consent from users for functionality related to the disclosure of sensitive personal information, (2) publish a privacy and data use policy that is readily understandable, (3) provide users the ability to opt-out of the sharing of their nonsensitive information, and (4) obtain at least once every two years a privacy audit that evaluates the sufficiency of the entity's data privacy and security controls. These requirements do not apply to the collection or sharing of sensitive or nonsensitive personal information for certain purposes such as detecting fraud or identity theft. The bill provides authority for the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce these requirements. Additionally, the FTC must hire 500 new employees to focus on privacy and data security.
Has H.R. 1816 become law?
Not yet. As of 11 Mar 2021, H.R. 1816 is introduced.
Who sponsored H.R. 1816?
H.R. 1816 was sponsored by Rep. Suzan DelBene [D-WA1] (Democrat-WA), with 29 cosponsors.
What's the latest action on H.R. 1816?
Introduced (11 Mar 2021).

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