Congressman Frank Pallone has asked the U.S. Government Accounting Office to study the harms of eliminating rules that protect consumer privacy. "With the near universal use of the internet, and the rapid expansion of connected devices, corporations now have more information about American consumers than ever before," Pallone wrote in his
letter. "It is, therefore, more important than ever that Americans' privacy and security be protected online." Pallone asked the GAO to report on whether the "notice and choice" approach to privacy regulation works, what challenges consumers face in protecting their information, and how the FCC,
FTC, and other agencies approach privacy regulation. EPIC has
urged the FCC to
establish comprehensive safeguards for consumer privacy. EPIC also explained in
comments to the FTC and
FCC and in
testimony before Congress that "notice and choice" is
insufficient to protect consumer privacy.