Rep. DelBene Voices Concerns Over GDPR, Will Reintroduce Privacy Bill

Updating federal privacy laws needs to be a “top priority,” but the U.S. should avoid European-like regulation that could put small American companies at a competitive disadvantage, Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said Monday at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event. The U.S. needs a “strong” consumer privacy bill, she said, but she raised concerns about the impact of the EU’s general data protection regulation on startups. She will reintroduce her privacy bill (see 1809200030), which grants the FTC additional rulemaking and enforcement authorities. Large companies can hire armies of attorneys and technocrats to ensure compliance, but small businesses don’t have the same resources, she said.