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Georgia congressman is the latest to introduce data privacy bills
Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA) announced today that he's introducing two bills that address digital privacy, one that specifically focuses on data privacy on mobile devices and another that would allow consumers to opt out of data collection. In a press release, he noted that the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how little control consumers have over their digital data and highlighted evidence that US residents want more. "Privacy is an issue that should unite us, not drive us apart," Johnson said in a statement. "We have fully entered the era of big data, and consumers access the internet through mobile devices now more than ever. It's past time our laws to reflect this reality through common sense rules for data collection, transparency and use."
New bill aims to turn open data idealism into US law
President Obama's administration has made significant progress in making US government data more transparent -- first with Data.gov, a repository for open data, and then with USASpending.gov, which tracks all of the government's spending. But despite those milestones, there's still plenty of room for improvement.
All of the US government's spending will soon be available on one website
US government spending data can be a pain to track down; while much of it is publicly accessible, it's scattered across many agencies that have their own ways of presenting information. Soon, though, you won't have hunt for it at all. The recently signed DATA (Digital Accountability and Transparency) Act will publish all of that financial material on USASpending.gov in an easily readable, software-independent format. The law also calls for both more detailed budget data and a simplified set of reporting requirements.
