Data Privacy Laws Should Be No-Brainer. Congress Is Behind

In 1998, the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act became law. COPPA was designed with the future of the Internet in mind. Dotcoms were fast on their way to a fever pitch, and the flags of a tech revolution whipped in the wind. In the backrooms of the Capitol, a Republican-led assembly of tech-minded lawmakers banded together to harness responsible data for emerging software. COPPA required platforms to maintain reasonable procedures for data collection practices from children under 13. The bill foresaw a world where billions of bits, sought and stored with integrity, could become...