This week, the Internet Association launched a campaign asking the federal government to pass a new privacy law.
The Internet Association (IA) is a trade group funded by some of the largest tech companies in the world, including
Google,
Microsoft, Facebook,
Amazon, and
Uber. Many of its members keep their lights on by tracking users and monetizing their personal data. So why do they want a federal consumer privacy law?
Surprise! It’s not to protect your privacy. Rather, this campaign is a disingenuous ploy to undermine real progress on privacy being made around the country at the state level. IA member companies want to establish a national “privacy law” that undoes stronger state laws and lets them continue
business as usual. Lawyers call this “preemption.” IA calls this “a unified, national standard” to avoid “a patchwork of state laws.” We call this a big step backwards for all of our privacy.
The question we should be asking is, “What are they afraid of?”
