EPIC Urges D.C. Council to Strengthen Proposed Government Data Privacy and Protection Act

EPIC submitted testimony on Monday to the D.C. Council Committee on Public Works & Operations urging them to further strengthen B26-0670, the DC Government Data Privacy and Protection Act of 2026. 

The proposed legislation aims to protect D.C. residents by setting standards around government collection, use, and disclosure of personal data.  

While EPIC applauds the D.C. Council’s attention to safeguarding privacy rights and protecting against government abuses, EPIC recommended the Committee strengthen the bill in a few key ways. EPIC called on the Committee to specifically target current government data practices, protect against known harms from sensitive data use, maximize transparency to constituents, include language around using personal data to train AI systems, and strengthen enforcement provisions. 

In an era when governments are seeking to collect ever greater amounts of personal information, it is essential that lawmakers pass meaningful guardrails in place to protect the public’s privacy and constitutional rights.  

EPIC has long advocated for Americans’ privacy and constitutional rights against government abuses and looks forward to working with the Council to meaningfully protect the privacy of D.C. residents.