House passes bill banning data brokers from selling personal data to foreign adversaries
The Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, or HR 7520, would prohibit data brokers from selling Americans’ personally identifiable information to foreign adversaries, including countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Data brokers can face penalties from the Federal Trade Commission if they’re found to have sold sensitive information like location or health data to these countries. The bill sailed through the House, with all 414 lawmakers who voted opting to pass it.
McMorris Rodgers and Pallone said in a joint statement Wednesday that the legislation “builds on our efforts in the House last week to pass H.R. 7521 — with overwhelming and bipartisan support — and serves as an important complement to more comprehensive national data privacy legislation, which we remain committed to working together on.”
Unlike the TikTok bill, this one does not name individual companies. But it imposes a broad limit on data brokers’ ability to “sell, license, rent, trade, transfer, release, disclose, provide access to, or otherwise make available sensitive data of a United States individual” to foreign adversaries or organizations they control. It also gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce the legislation.
The sensitive data covered by the bill includes biometric and genetic information, Social Security numbers, health diagnoses or treatments, and precise geolocation data.
If it passes the Senate and is signed by the president, the bill would provide a significant uptick in data privacy for Americans — but that said, the bar for that is relatively low. Discussions about a broader privacy law have withered in recent years, but the Energy and Commerce leaders say they’re holding out hope that the overwhelming support for the data broker bill can get Congress moving on more ambitious privacy legislation. “We’re encouraged by today’s strong vote, which should help build momentum to get this important bipartisan legislation, as well as more comprehensive privacy legislation, signed into law this Congress,” McMorris Rodgers and Pallone said in their joint statement.
The Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act, or HR 7520, would prohibit data brokers from selling Americans’ personally identifiable information to foreign adversaries, including countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Data brokers can face penalties from the Federal Trade Commission if they’re found to have sold sensitive…
Recent Posts
- Shokz upgraded its open earbuds with better sound and a lighter design
- Shokz says its clip-on OpenDots 2 earbuds focus on improved volume and bass
- How to watch England vs New Zealand: TV Channels, Full Schedule & 1st Test Preview
- Nomad Goods Promo Codes: Get 25% Off in June 2026
- NordVPN Coupons and Deals: 77% Off in June 2026
Archives
- June 2026
- May 2026
- April 2026
- March 2026
- February 2026
- January 2026
- December 2025
- November 2025
- October 2025
- September 2025
- August 2025
- July 2025
- June 2025
- May 2025
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023