A new Republican privacy bill could be ‘worse than no standard at all’

House Republicans introduced the SECURE Data Act and a companion financial data bill as a new push for federal privacy legislation.

The bills add some limits on data collection, sensitive data use, teen data protections, and opt-out rights for targeted ads.

But they also would preempt stronger state privacy laws, omit private lawsuits, and leave enforcement largely to the FTC and state attorneys general.

Privacy groups said the proposal could weaken protections in states like California and Maryland, even as it moves the U.S. closer to a national privacy framework.