ICYMI: NY Times Editorial Highlights Rockefeller Report on Data Brokers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The New York Times today published an editorial on providing consumers with stronger controls over their personal information collected online, which highlighted Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV’s majority staff report that revealed the breadth and scope of the sensitive data – including financial, health, and other personal information – that is routinely amassed by data brokers on consumers without their knowledge or consent.
Chairman Rockefeller recently introduced legislation that would prohibit data brokers from collecting or soliciting consumer information in deceptive ways, and would allow consumers to access and correct their information to help ensure maximum possible accuracy. The Committee also held a hearing on Dec. 18, 2013, to examine the privacy and accountability concerns with the data broker industry.
Rockefeller, Markey Introduce Data Broker Bill to Ensure Accuracy, Accountability for Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV) and Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) today introduced legislation that would require data brokers to be accountable and transparent about the information they collect and sell about consumers.
“Consumers deserve to know what information about their personal lives is being collected and sold to marketers by data brokers,” Rockefeller said. “This booming shadow industry, that generated more than $150 billion in 2012 and operates with very little scrutiny and oversight, is making tremendous profits off practices that can be disturbing and totally unfair to consumers. As I said during the Committee’s recent hearing on data brokers, I would be taking action to protect consumers and hold data brokers accountable. This legislation is a strong step in that direction. It will give consumers important protections like the ability to access files a data broker compiles of their personal information; the ability to correct inaccuracies in those files; and, importantly, choose whether they want to allow their personal information to be sold to other companies.”
Rockefeller Remarks at Commerce Committee Summit on Need to Reduce Distracted Driving
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today lead the final roundtable at the Senate Commerce Committee summit titled, “Over-Connected and Behind the Wheel: A Summit on Technological Solutions to Distracted Driving.” The daylong summit explored how technology can be used to minimize distracted driving, which has become a major public safety concern in recent years.
The summit consisted of three roundtable discussions on the potential for technology to encourage the distractable driver to focus on driving. Rockefeller opened the final roundtable on current and potential technology that can limit distractions and focus the driver on the road.
ICYMI: Rockefeller Op-Ed: Can the Right Technology End Distracted Driving?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of tomorrow’s Senate Commerce Committee summit that will explore technological solutions to distracted driving, an opinion-editorial by Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV appeared in today’s Roll Call titled, “Can the Right Technology End Distracted Driving?”
The daylong summit, “Over-Connected and Behind the Wheel: A Summit on Technological Solutions to Distracted Driving”, will explore how technology can be used to minimize distracted driving, which has become a major public safety concern in recent years.
The summit will consist of three roundtable discussions on the potential for technology to encourage the distractable driver to focus on driving. Rockefeller will open the final roundtable, at 2:30 p.m., on current and potential technology that can limit distractions and focus the driver on the road.
The summit will be held in 253 Russell Senate Office Building, and it is open to the public and media. If you are unable to attend in person, the three roundtable discussions will be streamed live on the Commerce Committee website at commerce.senate.gov.
Rockefeller, McCaskill Expand Investigation into Consumer Data Breaches
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following several recent breaches of consumers’ personal data, the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Consumer Protection Subcommittee today are expanding their investigation into corporate data security practices beyond Target to now include three additional companies that were also recently victims of cybercrimes.
Rockefeller, Feinstein, Pryor, Nelson Introduce Data Security Bill to Protect Consumers from Data Breaches
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senators John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee; Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet; and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Science and Space, today introduced legislation that would – for the first time – provide a federal standard for companies to safeguard consumers’ personal information throughout their systems and to quickly notify consumers if those systems are breached. The bill, similar to legislation introduced in the 111th and 112th Congresses, addresses security vulnerabilities that were exploited by criminals in the recent massive data breaches of major U.S. retailers. Those breaches left tens of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft and credit fraud.
Rockefeller to Target: Why Haven’t You Reported Data Breach to The Securities and Exchange Commission
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today sent a letter to Target asking why the company has not yet reported its recent massive data breach to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as the Commission recommended in an October 2011 guidance. Rockefeller encouraged the SEC to issue this guidance, and is a strong supporter of giving investors more complete and timely information about cyber incidents such as the Target data breach.
Rockefeller, McCaskill Ask Target for Answers on Massive Data Breach
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following one of the nation’s largest breaches of consumers’ personal data in history, the Chairmen of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Consumer Protection Subcommittee are asking the President and CEO of Target for the latest findings on the circumstances that permitted unauthorized access to the financial and personally identifying information of as many as 110 million Americans during the busiest shopping time of the year.
Rockefeller: Evidence is Overwhelming that Railroads are Financially Strong
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today gave opening remarks at a U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on several nominations. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
Rockefeller Says Compounding Bill Brings Accountability to Prescription Drug Market
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today praised final congressional passage of the Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204), bipartisan legislation with major consumer and life-saving benefits that President Obama will now sign into law. The bill was developed with critical information uncovered during Rockefeller’s joint Senate-House investigation into the prescription drug “gray market”, which found that unscrupulous operators can make enormous profits by buying hard-to-find drugs and then marking them up and re-selling at astronomical price points.