WASHINGTON – Today the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the global voice for the technology sector, joined a multi-tech company and association letter urging senators to pass bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) that extends privacy protections under the Privacy Act of 1974 to citizens of certain allied countries. In citing its support for S. 1600, the Judicial Redress Act, ITI says restoring the global public’s trust in the U.S. government and the U.S. technology sector that has been eroded over the past two years should be top of mind for lawmakers.

“In a globally connected world, protecting certain individuals’ privacy under the Privacy Act should not be limited to people who are in the U.S.,” said Yael Weinman, ITI vice president for global privacy policy and general counsel. “We renew our call for lawmakers to put all individuals on an equal footing when it comes to seeking redress in U.S. courts for violations relating to their information.”

The legislation is identical to a bipartisan House companion bill introduced in March by Reps. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) which has already garnered support from the Obama administration and federal law enforcement agencies. ITI has been advocating for lawmakers to extend core privacy protections to consumers both inside the United States and around the globe, renewing its call on Data Privacy Day earlier this year for the new Congress to enact new protections.

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