New privacy bill on the block

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) is introducing legislation aimed at strengthening data privacy protections for American consumers.

The Digital Accountability and Transparency to Advance Privacy Act would apply standards to all data collection, processing, storage and disclosure — including that it only be done for legitimate business or operational purposes.

New steps: The legislation would also bar companies from using consumer data in discriminatory ways and from engaging in deceptive data practices.

Consumers would be given the right to request, contest, transfer or delete data collected on them without retribution.

The act would require businesses to let consumers opt out of most personal data collection and require opt-in consent for sensitive information, including health and precise geolocation data. Opt-in consent would also be required for use of data for anything outside of the direct business-to-consumer relationship.