Simpler Privacy Laws Not Better For Consumers Says Senator Leahy

Congress is considering simplifying laws that prevent corporations from giving out information about what videos you are watching. A bill recently passed in the House has the support of online companies such as Netflix. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) attacks the simplification as good for consumers. Transcript: Recently some companies that dominate various aspects of cyberspace have announced that they want to simplify matters, so they can more easily track American's activities across the board. Obviously to their own financial benefit. I worry that sometimes what is simpler for corporate purposes is not better for consumers. It might be simpler for some if we had no privacy protections, we had no anti-trust protections, we had no consumer protections. It'd be simpler for some but it certainly wouldn't be better for Americans. EDIT A one-time check off has the effect of an all-time surrender of privacy. Doesn't seem like the best course for consumers. I worry that the availability of vast stores of information via corporate databanks also makes this readily available to the government, which has almost unfettered power to obtain information with administrative subpoena and so-called National Security Letters. So I think we need that comprehensive reform

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• patrick leahy
• privacy
• netflix
• facebook
• video privacy act
• senate
• congress
• al franken