Legislation for extended data privacy protection blocked

TechCrunch reports that the passage of the Protecting Americans from Doxing and Political Violence Act has been prevented by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who argued that the measure could impede law enforcement, such as locating sexual predators.

Cruz was the lone senator to object to the proposal introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., which aimed to extend existing bipartisan protections for federal officials and their families to all individuals across the U.S. in a bid to prevent the sale of their personal information among data brokers, as well as bolster protections against stalking, violence, and other criminal threats.

Data brokers collect and sell personal, financial, and location data, sometimes leading to breaches, leaks, and misuse. This practice was linked to the recent killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker, whose information was allegedly obtained from data brokers.

Cruz also objected Wyden's follow-up measure, S.2852, which would have extended protections to state-level officials and staff, as well as survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Cruz noted that he was "interested in expanding the protection to as wide a universe as is feasible, as is practicable, but that answer is not yet worked out."