Statement: EPIC Supports Funding for FTC Privacy Bureau

Caitriona Fitzgerald, EPIC Deputy Director, released the following statement on the proposal for a $1 billion appropriation for the Federal Trade Commission to create and operate a new bureau focused on privacy, data security, identity theft, data abuses, and related matters:

“This increased funding for enforcement is a step in the right direction, but the increasing pervasiveness of technology in our lives and our economy necessitates an update to our privacy laws and a dedicated agency. While the FTC helps to safeguard consumers and promote competition, it is not a data protection agency. Congress must follow up this budget measure with comprehensive baseline privacy legislation and the creation of an independent data protection agency. And the FTC should use these funds to promptly initiate a privacy rulemaking and go after unfair data practices and biased AI systems.”