FBI Probes Dark Web Sale of 153M License Scans

Is the SECURE Data Act the privacy shield Americans need or a loophole-riddled threat to their protection?

Published SEP 3

FBI Probes Dark Web Sale of 153M License Scans

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Above: The J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building in Washington, D.C., on April 7. Image credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Cases like this both expose the scale of the threat posed by lacklustre data protections and the urgent need to pass appropriate federal legislation. For the latter, look no further than the SECURE Data Act. Built on bipartisan consensus, this will give every American the core privacy rights they need to shield them from criminal abuses. Congress, therefore, must pass the bill now to prevent further harm.

Americans for Tax Reform The Washington Examiner

Government-critical narrative

Ordinary Americans' private data is at unparalleled risk, and the need for stringent federal frameworks has never been greater. The SECURE Data Act, however, fails to tackle the challenge. Its so-called data minimization standard is a loophole-riddled sham, while its sweeping preemptions would gut stronger, existing state laws. Rather than protecting Americans, this legislation would leave them more exposed than before.

Electronic Frontier Foundation EPIC