Civil Rights Coalition Urges Congress to Protect Marginalized Communities in Privacy Debate

44 public interest, civil rights, racial justice, and consumer groups wrote a letter urging Congress to prioritize civil rights concerns when developing consumer privacy legislation. The letter reads:

Platforms and other online services should not be permitted to use consumer data to discriminate against protected classes or deny them opportunities in commerce, housing, and employment, or full participation in our democracy. Companies also should be required to be transparent about their collection and use of personal information in automated decisionmaking, and to anticipate and protect against discriminatory uses and disparate impacts of big data. To address these concerns, any new privacy legislation should be consistent with the Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data:

• Stop High-Tech Profiling. 
• Ensure Fairness in Automated Decisions.
• Preserve Constitutional Principles.
• Enhance Individual Control of Personal Information. 
• Protect People from Inaccurate Data.

It is long past time to see effective privacy laws for commercial data practices established in the United States. We look forward to offering our expertise and vision as the debate continues and your committees craft legislation to protect everyone’s rights and create a more just and equitable society.