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3. Protecting Digital Privacy and Curtailing Surveillance

Safeguarding Individual Liberty in the Digital Age from Governmental and Corporate Overreach​

In an increasingly digital world, the right to privacy is fundamental to individual liberty, autonomy, and democratic participation. Yet, this right is under constant threat from both expansive government surveillance programs and the pervasive data collection practices of large technology corporations. Unchecked surveillance, whether by state actors or private companies, chills free expression, enables discrimination, and creates dangerous imbalances of power.

Our platform calls for robust federal legislation and regulatory action to protect digital privacy, limit government surveillance powers, and hold corporations accountable for their data practices. We must establish clear rules that empower individuals with control over their personal information and ensure that technology serves humanity, rather than enabling new forms of control and exploitation.

Key Strategies for Protecting Privacy:​

  1. Enact Comprehensive Federal Privacy Legislation:

    • Pass baseline federal privacy legislation that grants individuals fundamental rights over their personal data, including the right to access, correct, delete, and port their data, and the right to opt-out of data collection and sharing for non-essential purposes.
    • Establish strong data minimization principles, requiring companies to collect only the data necessary for a specific, stated purpose and to delete it when no longer needed.
    • Require clear, opt-in consent for the collection and use of sensitive personal information (e.g., biometric data, location data, health information).
    • Create a well-resourced federal agency (or empower an existing one like the FTC) with rulemaking and enforcement authority to oversee compliance with privacy laws and impose significant penalties for violations.

  2. Reform Government Surveillance Authorities:

    • End warrantless mass surveillance programs conducted by intelligence agencies. Reform Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and related authorities to require warrants based on probable cause for accessing Americans' communications.
    • Increase transparency and oversight of government surveillance activities, including regular public reporting and strengthened judicial and congressional review.
    • Prohibit government agencies from purchasing sensitive personal data from data brokers to bypass warrant requirements.
    • Restrict the use of invasive surveillance technologies like facial recognition by law enforcement, requiring strict limits, public debate, and legislative approval before deployment.

  3. Regulate Data Brokers:

    • Implement strong regulations on the data broker industry, requiring transparency about data collection sources and practices, allowing individuals to easily access and delete their data held by brokers, and prohibiting the sale of sensitive information without explicit consent.

  4. Enhance Data Security Standards:

    • Mandate strong data security standards for companies handling personal information and impose significant penalties for data breaches resulting from negligence.
    • Require timely notification to individuals and regulators in the event of a data breach.

  5. Protect Privacy in Emerging Technologies:

    • Proactively develop privacy standards and ethical guidelines for emerging technologies like AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and biometric identification to mitigate privacy risks before they become widespread.

Conclusion:​

Protecting privacy in the digital age is essential for safeguarding individual freedom and democratic values. It requires a dual approach: reining in excessive government surveillance and establishing strong rules for corporate data collection and use. By enacting comprehensive privacy legislation, reforming surveillance laws, regulating data brokers, and enhancing data security, we can empower individuals with meaningful control over their personal information and ensure that technology develops in ways that respect fundamental rights.