Alan Butler of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Hayley Tsukayama of the Electronic Frontier Foundation argue for and against the need for an overriding federal privacy law.
In the absence of a federal data privacy law, seven states—California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia, Iowa, and most recently Indiana have adopted consumer data privacy laws of their own. But this patchwork system—and the gaps it creates—has prompted some lawmakers and advocates to push for a uniform data privacy system for the entire US.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act aimed to create a uniform law, but it stalled in Congress last year despite bipartisan backing and has yet to be reintroduced. The legislation prompts ongoing questions about whether a federal law should take precedence over existing state laws. Two data privacy experts offer their perspectives on the issue.
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