U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has reintroduced a proposal to create an independent federal agency focused on personal data and privacy. The New York Democrat says the Data Protection Act would give the government a dedicated regulator for data collection, sharing and high-risk uses, including practices involving artificial intelligence.
The proposal is legislation, not a new agency or a change in current privacy rights. The text linked by Gillibrand's office is labeled a discussion draft and does not show an assigned Senate bill number. Its provisions would take effect only if Congress enacts them.
Under the draft, the Data Protection Agency would regulate data aggregators and enforce the new act and other privacy laws within its authority. It would be able to examine high-risk data practices, issue rules and pursue remedies for violations. The measure also directs the agency to study the civil rights, economic and social effects of data practices.
What the proposal would cover
The draft describes a data aggregator broadly as a person or company collecting, using or sharing more than a minimal amount of personal data in interstate commerce. A large aggregator would include one with more than $25 million in annual revenue or data involving at least 50,000 people, households or devices a year; the agency could require reports and examinations from those entities.
Another provision would require a public list of aggregators handling data on more than 10,000 people or households. Proposed rules could give people rights to access, correct, limit processing of and request deletion of their personal data. The bill would also prohibit certain unfair, deceptive, abusive or discriminatory practices involving that data.
Gillibrand's announcement frames the measure as a response to privacy risks from large technology and AI companies. It cites support from consumer and privacy advocacy groups, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Consumer Federation of America. The release does not identify a bipartisan sponsor or a scheduled committee vote.
The bill is national in scope. Its proposed protections would apply to New Yorkers, including Finger Lakes residents, if enacted, but no immediate local program or enforcement office was announced. For now, the practical effect is to reopen debate in Congress over how personal information should be handled and who should oversee it.
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