The issue of personal privacy is a closely held value by the American people. When we provide an institution with personal information, we want that the information to be protected from misuse or theft. At a minimum, companies should be required to disclose if they buy or sell consumer information, or if they track the whereabouts of Internet surfers even after they’ve left a company’s website. Consumers should be given the opportunity to opt-out of this use of their information.

As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and a member of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, Rep. Eshoo is actively involved in congressional efforts to implement sound, strong privacy laws to protect consumers and prevent fraud and identity theft. Through the combined efforts of government and industry, Rep. Eshoo is working to develop privacy legislation that will give consumers control over their own privacy and require the private sector to be a responsible steward of their personal information.

As part of these efforts, Rep. Eshoo has supported legislation to advance personal privacy efforts, as well as increased funding for cybersecurity training and funding for advanced research.

In the 113th Congress, Rep. Eshoo is a cosponsor of H.R. 1852, the Email Privacy Act. The Email Privacy Act updates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to improve privacy protections for electronic communications information stored or maintained by third-party service providers.