Originally Appeared: The Clarion Ledger on August 14, 2019
There’s increased recognition around the country — and in Mississippi specifically — that we need strong privacy rules to protect Americans and the data they share with businesses whether shopping for groceries or school supplies at their local shopping center or sharing a loved one’s birthday with their community of family and friends online. Mississippi’s senior U.S. Senator, Roger Wicker, chairs the critical Senate Commerce Committee and has expressed a desire to have a “good, strong bill” put “on the president’s desk this year.” Senator Wicker is right — now’s the time for a bill to pass.
In this 2018 file photo, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, speaks about the importance of the 2018 mid-term federal election for the GOP, during a media sit-down in Ridgeland, Miss., Tuesday, May 1, 2018. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP)
Comprehensive and enforceable data privacy legislation should put Americans in the driver’s seat to control their data, provide consistent rules for all types of businesses, and establish a fair, workable framework for businesses that need to comply. Data privacy affects all of us, whether we use the internet frequently or not. We all have expectations around how our data is used, collected, and shared regardless of whether we’re shopping online or browsing the aisles of our favorite local store.
