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Obama administration releases draft of consumer privacy legislation

The bill comes after the president promised such legislation in his State of the Union address.

By Thor Benson
US President Barack Obama talks about his plan to improve confidence in technology by tackling identity theft and improving consumer and students privacy at the Federal Trade Commissions offices, in Washington, DC on January 12, 2015. File photo by Aude Guerrucci/Pool/UPI
US President Barack Obama talks about his plan to improve confidence in technology by tackling identity theft and improving consumer and students privacy at the Federal Trade Commissions offices, in Washington, DC on January 12, 2015. File photo by Aude Guerrucci/Pool/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Obama administration introduced a draft of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2015 on Friday, which is meant to help consumers gain more control over how their personal information is used.

The draft explains how corporations would be expected to create codes of conduct for how consumer data is used, and it would put the Federal Trade Commission in charge of determining whether those codes of conduct are adequate.

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The draft demands companies provide "convenient and reasonable access" to information on how their data is being used. Consumer data is often used by companies or sold to third parties for advertising purposes.

Though the draft honors the president's State of the Union promise to bring forth legislation aimed at protecting consumer data, privacy experts and consumer groups tell the New York Times the bill offers few direct actions that can be taken by consumers to protect their privacy.

The draft is the administration's concept of what consumer privacy rights should look like, and cannot be voted on in Congress until a congressional sponsor supports it.

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