The EFF has been calling for national private legislation for a while but now that we have something on the table they are criticizing it. They are calling for state level laws but the problem with local laws is that there are 50 different states for companies to try to keep track of. The other problem with local legislation is that it is hard to enforce as Google or who ever else may not be based in the state that there users are in and each state will be treated differently and will receive different levels of support. We need unification so that companies know and meet the requirements. States are simply to small to be effective against a company.
Even if the privacy act is not completely perfect it can always be expanded or revised in the future. We need something to be passed as technology has surpassed public awareness.
My biggest concern is the lack of a national privacy standard. Having different laws for each state will just confuse consumers and cost companies a lot of money.
At least it is a start
Sure, I mean the needs and wants of the consumer and the companies can be opposed to each other. It’d be convenient for the companies if it were simple®. Maybe at the cost of the people.
I’m not that gifted with the lawmaking process in the USA. I don’t really understand what is the responsibility of whom, national or federal… It sounds to me more like an issue with complexity of having a federal republic than anything with privacy…
And I mean you already have different legislation in all of the states that affect businesses and what they can sell to whom. (And how.)