Americans’ Movements Are Being Sold. Pass Location Privacy Legislation.

I'm writing to urge you to draft and pass legislation protecting Americans from the unregulated trade in our location data. Today, data brokers can buy, sell, and resell records of where we go — to anyone with a credit card, including government agencies looking to sidestep the warrant process. This isn't a hypothetical concern. Location data harvested from ordinary apps has been used to identify people visiting health clinics, track attendees at political protests, and locate U.S. service members stationed abroad. Recently, the FTC moved to ban GM and OnStar from selling drivers' geolocation data to credit bureaus — a good first step, but one company and one enforcement action at a time is no substitute for real law. While five states have passed their own location privacy laws, a state patchwork can't solve a problem that doesn't stop at the border. If someone travels to another state for medical care, a broker can simply track their route to the edge of the protected state and pick up the trail on the other side. Only Congress can close that gap. A strong federal law should include four things. First, a ban on the sale of precise geolocation data. Second, meaningful consent requirements — a clear, informed yes from the person whose movements are at stake, not buried fine print. Third, a genuine private right of action with real remedies, so individuals can hold violators accountable rather than leaving enforcement entirely to agencies that will never have the staffing to pursue every case. And fourth, a prohibition on pay-for-privacy schemes, so companies can't charge people extra to keep their movements private. Where we go reveals the most intimate details of our lives — our faith, our health, our politics. Location data deserves protection at least as strong as the laws governing medical records. Please champion this legislation. Thank you for your time and consideration.