Consumer Privacy Bills Could Impact Digital Operations

Both the House and Senate have pledged to consider consumer privacy legislation during the 112^th Congress. Several bills have been introduced in both chambers that would regulate the collection and use of consumer data for marketing and other purposes. The current focus, particularly in the House Energy & Commerce Committee, is on data security and breach notification. NAA has been educating members of Congress on the industry’s views. While newspapers care about reader privacy and strive to act responsibly when it comes to consumer data, they also need flexibility to implement new revenue streams, such as targeted advertising, that can sustain high-quality, original journalism. NAA is also concerned that many pending consumer privacy bills sweep in offline data collection and use without fully understanding how small businesses and consumers benefit from targeted print marketing.