In letters shared exclusively with The Technology 202, six House Democrats demanded to know whether the giants are taking steps to “protect the privacy rights of those seeking to exercise their reproductive rights” after the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion rights.
“Data collected and sold by your company may be used by law enforcement and prosecutors in states with aggressive abortion restrictions,” the lawmakers wrote Wednesday, expressing concern about the collection and use of location data, in particular.
(Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
The pair join a growing group of companies under pressure to rein in their data-gathering tactics as more states seek to outlaw or restrict abortions.
In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their pressure campaign against common targets like Google and Apple, but the letters may be the first to the cloud computing giants.
“These are some of the biggest companies that are collecting location data, and as we saw with SafeGraph, we are extremely concerned about the ways geolocation data can be used to threaten people,” Amnesty International said. Michael Kleinmanwhose group led separate letters to companies echoing lawmakers’ concerns.
In a new wrinkle, Democrats are pressing the companies to disclose whether they have “conducted a human rights impact assessment” to assess whether their practices could be used to prosecute those who seek abortions.
Led by Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), the group is calling on the tech giants and two other data brokers to respond by Aug. 3. Representatives. David Cicilline (DR.I.), Yvette Clarke (DN.Y.), Debbie Dingell (D-Me), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sean Casten (D-Ill.) co-signed it.
Amnesty International, Access Now and Fight for the Future urged the companies to follow in the footsteps of data broker SafeGraph, which in May pledged to stop selling information about visits to abortion clinics. The company announced the move after Vice reported on those sales.
“In addition, we call on you to take steps to stop the collection and disclosure of data related to abortion and reproductive rights,” the groups wrote.
Spokesmen for Oracle and Amazon did not return requests for comment.
Kleinman also expressed concern about data brokers selling anonymized data that could easily be re-identified and linked back to users for prosecution purposes.
“What we need to ensure is that companies sitting on that massive amount of potentially sensitive data have thought through the rights implications of that data,” he said.
Even if companies adhere to their demands, it won’t be enough until there are greater legal safeguards to protect against excessive data collection and misuse, he said.
“Such actions are necessary, but not sufficient. And so companies need to act … we also need, and this is speaking from Amnesty, effective federal privacy legislation,” he said.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about anonymized data and the creation of guardrails around data brokers in the latest round of data privacy talks on Capitol Hill.
Last month, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said a major bipartisan privacy proposal would “sadly not do enough to protect a woman’s basic rights,” citing concerns that a “loophole” around anonymous data could used to target those seeking abortions.
House lawmakers advanced an amended version of House Bill 53-2 on Wednesday.
While Wyden is still considering other recent changes to the bill, he “strongly believes this needs to be fixed before any legislation becomes law,” the spokesman Keith Chu said Wednesday.
The remarks reflect how Democratic lawmakers and rights groups are still grappling with how to respond to a host of privacy risks afterRoe deer.
The data privacy bill goes through the House panel
The bipartisan American Privacy and Data Protection Act became the first consumer privacy bill to come out of a congressional panel on Wednesday, as I reported.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill 53-2 with only two California Democrats, representatives. Anna Eshoo AND Nanette Barragan, voting against. Directed by the Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (DN.J.) and ranking Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), the measure would place limits on how much data companies can collect, give consumers a limited right to sue violators and repeal most state privacy laws.
“Today’s vote has been years in the making and is a major step forward in our bipartisan effort to create national data privacy protections for all Americans,” Pallone, McMorris Rodgers and other panel leaders said in a statement. shared after the marking session.
But the proposal still faces major hurdles in the Senate, where a senior Democrat has dismissed the proposal as too weak to implement.
Pelosi backs revamped chip bill, teases potential floor vote
The speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the House of Representatives plans to vote as early as next week on a shortened version of a proposal to boost semiconductor production in the United States, Reuters’ David Shepardson reports.
“As the Senate undergoes its legislative process, we are optimistic that the House will be able to take up this bill as early as next week,” Pelosi wrote in a letter to lawmakers, adding that the measure “will reduce costs for families here at home by rekindling American competitiveness on the world stage.”
The remarks come as Senate leaders gather their votes. “On Tuesday, the Senate supported by 64-34 a procedural measure to set the stage for possible votes to pass the legislation in the Senate as soon as this week,” Shepardson reports.
Ex-Twitter employee goes on trial over claims he leaked data to Saudi Arabia
Authorities arrested ex-Twitter employee, Ahmad Abouammoin 2019. He is accused of being an unregistered agent of the Saudi government and of having committed wire fraud and money laundering, my colleague Aaron Schaffer reports on The Technology 202.
Abouammo was paid at least $300,000 Bader Al Asakera Saudi official who led the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmancharity, prosecutors say.
“Abouammo, who was arrested in Seattle, worked for Twitter as a manager of media partnerships,” my colleagues wrote in 2019. “He met Asaker in London in late 2014. Within a week, he began accessing illegally data on Saudis” and one of its targets was an anonymous Saudi critic whose tweets about Saudi corruption to more than a million followers have angered Saudi officials, they wrote.
Abouammo’s lawyer, Angela Chuang, told the New York Times that “we look forward to exonerating Mr. Abouammo and for him to have his day in court.” Prosecutors expect Abouammo’s team to argue that he was legally working as a consultant for Saudi Arabia, the Times reported, citing a court filing.
Federal privacy legislation advances, but concerns about data brokers are emerging (Tonya Riley)
Google announces hiring hiatus (Information)
How will Big Tech respond to the end of Roe v. Wade? Look abroad. (Protocol)
Tesla Dumps Bitcoin Amid Pressure From Factory Shutdown (Faiz Siddiqui)
EU likely to strengthen Apple probe with new evidence, no new charges – sources (Foo Yun Chee)
Hot phone? Here’s how to cool it down (say no to the fridge) (Chris Velazco)
- I’ll be moderating a panel on content moderation and internet safety today at 9:30 for the Internet Governance Youth Forum.
- Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr discusses broadband grants at an American Enterprise Institute event today at 10 a.m.
that‘That’s all for today – thank you so much for joining us! Be sure to tell others to subscribe of technology 202 here. Get in touch with tips, comments or greetings I tweet or email.
