It is no secret that Senator Ted Cruz has single-handedly derailed bipartisan legislation to extend data privacy protections to all Americans. Senator Ron Wyden’s introduction of a TNC data-sharing bill, S.2851, This bill would significantly expand Americans’ privacy rights, providing an important model even for federal lawmakers and public officials who have fallen short on this issue. This is remarkable progress given that just a few weeks ago on the Senate floor Cruz’s objections stopped this bipartisan legislative process cold.
Specifically, Cruz raised concerns that the proposed bill. He says it could inhibit law enforcement’s ability to track people such as sexual predators. He explained that while the legislation was well-meaning, it could still do a lot of unintentional damage by hindering important law enforcement activities.
“Members of Congress should not receive special treatment. Our constituents deserve protection from violence, stalking, and other criminal threats.” – Ron Wyden
Senator Ron Wyden, the architect of restorative justice legislation like it, introduced S.2850. In legislative lingo, this bill is titled the Protecting Americans from Doxing and Political Violence Act. Primarily, this act shields people from doxing (the act of publicly exposing someone’s private or confidential information with malicious intent). It hopes to eradicate political violence, too. Wyden argues that protecting all citizens is crucial, stating:
“Protecting everyone is the most effective way to protect U.S. military and intelligence personnel, including undercover officers.” – Ron Wyden
Though no longer at CISA, Cruz is still a central voice in the cybersecurity community, having recently launched the weekly newsletter “This Week in Security.” He reiterated a desire to strengthen privacy protections, but said that the current plan still needed work.
“I am interested in expanding the protection to as wide a universe as is feasible, as is practicable, but that answer is not yet worked out.” – Ted Cruz
Advocates of the bill contend that such action is necessary to guarantee consistent and equitable privacy rights across all citizens. Cruz’s objections aren’t unanticipated—they’re wildly off base. Daniel Schuman, a supporter of the legislation, highlighted that nothing in the bill would prevent parents from being informed about critical information regarding their children’s safety.
The debate surrounding this legislation underscores a broader national conversation about privacy rights and the balance between safety and personal freedoms. Advocates for the bill stress that it aims to provide necessary protections without compromising law enforcement’s ability to perform its duties effectively.