February 11, 2011 Dear Friends, Today I introduced a package of privacy bills aimed at protecting the personal information of all Americans. The Do Not Track Me Online Act of 2011 (H.R. 654) would give consumers the ability to prevent the collection and use of data on their online activities. The Financial Information Privacy Act of 2011 (H.R. 653) would give consumers control of their own financial information. These two bills send a clear message—privacy over profit. Consumers have a right to determine what if any of their information is shared with big corporations and the federal government must have the authority and tools to enforce reasonable protections. There is no longer any anonymity on the Web. The most personal information about people’s online habits is collected and eventually bought and sold, often instantaneously and invisibly. The most tracked site is Dictionary.com. I don’t believe looking up a word should be a privacy risk. Data collection practices have become a business in themselves, driven by profits at consumers’ expense. The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted these practices—which included targeting children—in its groundbreaking series “What They Know.” Wednesday, February 16 at 7:00 pm To register, visit my website or call my office at 650-342-0300 Friday, April 8, 10:00 am College of San Mateo Building 10 To register, visit my website or call my office at 650-342-0300 A USA Today poll released Tuesday showed that 70% of Facebook members and 52% of Google users say they are either "somewhat" or "very concerned" about their privacy. I concur. The Do Not Track Me Online Act of 2011 would direct the Federal Trade Commission to develop standards for a “Do Not Track” mechanism that would allow individuals to choose to opt out of the collection, use or sale of their online activities, and require covered entities to respect the consumer’s choice. The Financial Information Privacy Act of 2011 would finally give consumers the ability to control the sharing of their own information. The bill mirrors legislation I successfully steered to passage in California that prevents financial institutions from sharing or selling personally identifiable nonpublic information with affiliates without an opportunity to opt-out, or in the case of unaffiliated third parties, a requirement that consumers opt-in. This bill gives consumers control of their personal financial information and provides meaningful but workable privacy protection. All the best, Unsubscribe Capitol Hill Office 211 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3531 Fax: (202) 226-4183 District Office 400 S. El Camino Real, Suite 750 San Mateo, CA 94402 Phone: (650) 342-0300 Fax: (650) 375-8270