Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
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/bill/116/s/3300/is/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: Privacy is an important fundamental individual right protected by the Constitution of the United States. The right of privacy is widely recognized in international legal instruments that the United States has endorsed, ratified, or promoted. The right to privacy protects the individual against intrusions into seclusion, protects individual autonomy, safeguards fair processing of data that pertains to the individual, advances the just processing of data, and contributes to respect for individual civil rights and fundamental freedoms.
Privacy protections not only protect and benefit the individual, but they also advance other societal interests, including the protection of marginalized and vulnerable groups of individuals, the safeguarding of other foundational values of our democracy, such as freedom of information, freedom of speech, justice, and human ingenuity and dignity, as well as the integrity of democratic institutions, including fair and open elections. The privacy of an individual is directly affected by the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal data.
The increasing digitalization of information and its application in classifying individuals and groups of individuals has greatly magnified the harm to individual privacy that can occur from the collection, maintenance, use, or dissemination of personal data. The opportunities for an individual to secure employment, insurance, credit, and housing and the right to due process and other legal protections are endangered by the unrestricted collection, disclosure, processing, and misuse of personal data.
Information systems lacking privacy protection amplify bias. In order to protect the privacy of individuals, it is necessary and proper for Congress to regulate the collection, maintenance, use, processing, storage, and dissemination of information. The purpose of this Act is to establish a data protection agency to— safeguard privacy, promote innovation, ensure compliance with the law, and promote best practices; provide guidance on matters related to electronic data storage, communication, and usage; provide the public with information and guidance on privacy protections and fair information practices and principles; oversee Federal agencies' implementation of section 552a of title 5, United States Code; promote implementation of fair information practices in the public and private sector; and represent the United States in international forums.