With public trust in large tech companies at an all-time low, Congress is once again considering comprehensive data privacy legislation. But the rise of blockchain technologies and the nascent decentralized web mean that these comprehensive proposals are already behind the times. Without major revisions, these legislative proposals risk strangling decentralizing technologies in the cradle.
The 118th Congress has held many hearings on data privacy, and it is crucial that lawmakers consider how their proposals might impact technological innovation. In order to properly balance conflicts between individuals’ right to control their information and the necessity of innovation, lawmakers should abandon one-size-fits-all proposals in favor of the time-tested, sectoral approach to data privacy.