MAY 07, 2020 | US
Tech Companies Take Privacy Reins During Virus Absent US Law
Bloomberg Law, May 7, 2020
By Dan Stoller
Technology companies helping to fight the coronavirus are policing themselves to protect consumer data in the absence of a comprehensive US statute and only a few state privacy laws. The companies are taking voluntary steps based on Europe’s privacy law, such as restricting the types of data they collect and stating upfront their specific purpose for gathering information.
The companies say they’re taking privacy seriously during the virus, even without state and federal statutes. “Privacy and security are always important,” said Kate Goodloe, policy director with BSA | The Software Alliance. Group members, including Microsoft, have built privacy protections “into their business models,” she said.
BSA | The Software Alliance supports the creation of a federal privacy regime, but “companies should respect the privacy and security of data they hold, even without a national privacy law,” Goodloe said.
Original Posting: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/privacy-and-data-security/tech-companies-take-privacy-reins-during-virus-absent-u-s-law
ABOUT BSA
The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the global trade association of the enterprise software industry, representing companies that are leaders in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, quantum, and other breakthrough technologies. We work in over 20 markets in the US, Europe, and Asia, advocating for policies that build trust in technology so that every industry sector and the public can benefit from innovation.