Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4755) to support research on privacy enhancing technologies and promote responsible data use, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4755
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act''. SEC. 2. PRIVACY ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY.
(a) National Science Foundation Support of Research on Privacy Enhancing Technology.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies (as determined by the Director), shall support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on privacy enhancing technologies, which may include the following:
(1) Fundamental research on technologies for de- identification, pseudonymization, anonymization, or obfuscation to mitigate individuals' privacy risks in data sets while maintaining fairness, accuracy, and efficiency.
(2) Fundamental research on algorithms and other similar mathematical tools used to protect individual privacy when collecting, storing, sharing, analyzing, or aggregating data.
(3) Fundamental research on technologies that promote data minimization in data collection, sharing, and analytics that takes into account the trade-offs between the data minimization goals and the informational goals of data collection.
(4) Research awards on privacy enhancing technologies coordinated with other relevant Federal agencies and programs.
(5) Supporting education and workforce training research and development activities, including re-training and upskilling of the existing workforce, to increase the number of privacy enhancing technology researchers and practitioners.
(6) Multidisciplinary socio-technical research that fosters broader understanding of privacy preferences, requirements, and human behavior to inform the design and adoption of effective privacy solutions.
(7) Development of freely available privacy enhancing technology software libraries, platforms, and applications.
(8) Fundamental research on techniques that may undermine the protections provided by privacy enhancing technologies, the limitations of such protections, and the trade-offs between privacy and utility required for the deployment of such technologies.
(9) Fundamental research on technologies and techniques to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of individuals from unconsented, unwanted, or unauthorized location tracking, including through GPS.
(b) Integration Into the Computer and Network Security Program.--Subparagraph (D) of section 4(a)(1) of the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7403(a)(1)(D)) is amended by inserting ``, including privacy enhancing technologies'' before the semicolon.
(c) Coordination With the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Other Stakeholders.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program, shall coordinate with the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Trade Commission, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, to accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of privacy enhancing technologies.
(2) Outreach.--The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall conduct outreach to--
(A) receive input from private, public, and academic stakeholders on the development of privacy enhancing technologies; and
(B) facilitate and support ongoing public and private sector engagement to inform the development and dissemination of voluntary, consensus-based technical standards, guidelines, methodologies, procedures, and processes to cost- effectively increase the integration of privacy enhancing technologies in data collection, sharing, and analytics performed by the public and private sectors.
(d) Report on Privacy Enhancing Technology Research.--Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program, shall, in coordination with the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, a report containing information relating to the following:
(1) The progress of research on privacy enhancing technologies.
(2) The progress of the development of voluntary resources described under subsection (c)(2)(B).
(3) Any policy recommendations that could facilitate and improve communication and coordination between the private sector and relevant Federal agencies for the implementation and adoption of privacy enhancing technologies.
(e) Protecting Personal Identifying Information.--Any personal identifying information collected or stored through the activities authorized under this section shall be done in accordance with part 690 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations (relating to the protection of human subjects), or any successor regulation.
(f) Definition.--In this section, the term ``privacy enhancing technology''--
(1) means any software or hardware solution, technical process, or other technological means of mitigating individuals' privacy risks arising from data processing by enhancing predictability, manageability, disassociability, and confidentiality; and
(2) may include--
(A) cryptographic techniques for facilitating computation or analysis on data while mitigating privacy risks;
(B) techniques for--
(i) publicly sharing data without enabling inferences to be made about specific individuals;
(ii) giving individuals' control over the dissemination, sharing, and use of their data; and
(iii) generating synthetic data; and
(C) any other technology or approach that reduces the risk of re-identification, including when combined with other information.
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Mr. LUCAS. 4755, the bill now under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4755, the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act, offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kean). The bill supports research activities to advance innovative technologies to safeguard individuals' privacy.
As Americans have moved more and more of their lives online, it has resulted in a greater amount of digital consumer data and personal information being generated than ever before. This personal information has long been a target of cybercriminals, and the threat has only worsened over time. In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 1 million reports of identity theft. This problem is exacerbated by the failure of some companies to properly safeguard consumer data.
This data is a valuable asset. When safely utilized, it can do a great deal to spur our economy and support innovations like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Our task is to ensure this resource doesn't fall into the hands of bad actors, putting Americans' private information at risk.
Privacy enhancing technologies, PETs, may be part of the solution. PETs utilize cryptography and statistics to minimize the amount of personally identifiable information while ensuring the datasets are still usable. However, more research is needed to understand PETs' applicability and to encourage further development and adoption.
This bill requires the National Science Foundation to support fundamental research into PETs, the mathematics that underlie them, and the additional technologies that promote data minimization standards.
The legislation also directs NIST to work with stakeholders to develop voluntary consensus standards for incorporating these technologies into Federal and commercial applications. Similar legislation passed the House last Congress, which is a testament to the value of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Representatives Stevens and Kean for their leadership on this issue.
Mr. KEAN of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be the co-lead on H.R. 4755, the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act of 2023, with my colleague, Congresswoman Stevens.
Mr. Speaker, I have had many conversations about data privacy concerns with parents and constituents in the Seventh District in New Jersey. Ensuring their specific needs and concerns are met for safeguarding their privacy rights online is a top priority. I am pleased that the House is considering this critical piece of legislation to improve personal data protections for all Americans and to commit to enhancing individuals' privacy and security online.
In an increasingly interconnected world where digital technologies touch every aspect of our lives, safeguarding personal privacy has become a critical concern for all Americans, especially during a time when vast amounts of personal data is collected online.
As we navigate through a landscape of evolving cyber threats, data breaches, and the development of artificial intelligence, the need for cutting-edge, privacy enhancing technologies has never been more pressing.
Recognizing the significance of these challenges and the threats we face online, this legislation directs the National Science Foundation to support competitive, fundamental research on privacy enhancing technologies. Our goal is to enhance user safety and provide safety measures for how our data is collected and used.
This legislation also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to facilitate the development of voluntary consensus standards to better integrate privacy enhancing technologies into public and private sectors. This is a key step toward mitigating risks and promoting trustworthiness.
The Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act represents a promising opportunity to prioritize protecting an individual's data privacy in our ever-growing interconnected world.
Additionally, the bill will not only facilitate crucial research efforts but also contribute to the development of a skilled workforce and foster effective government coordination to ensure an impactful implementation of these technologies.
Advancing our legislation will support the development of robust safeguards for how people interact online and how their data is collected. This legislation seeks to empower individuals with greater control over their personal information, mitigating the risks of unauthorized access and misuse and maintaining trust in our digital ecosystem.
Through cutting-edge research and technologies, we will develop innovative solutions to not only shield sensitive data from malicious actors but also establish robust standards for data collection and sharing practices, fostering a more transparent and secure online environment.
Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for her extraordinary leadership in this regard and the chairman and the ranking member for helping advance this legislation. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleagues from Michigan and New Jersey on an outstanding piece of legislation, and I urge the body to adopt it.
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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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