Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 28, 2015
Data Accountability and Trust Act
Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to promulgate regulations requiring each person engaged in interstate commerce that owns or possesses data containing personal information to establish specified security policies and procedures to treat and protect such information.
Requires the regulations to include methods for disposing of both electronic and nonelectronic data.
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Requires information brokers to submit their security policies to the FTC in conjunction with a notification of a security breach notification or upon the FTC's request. Authorizes the FTC to conduct information security practices audits of brokers who have had a security breach or require such brokers to conduct independent audits.
Requires information brokers to: (1) establish procedures to verify the accuracy of information that identifies individuals, (2) provide to individuals whose personal information it maintains a means to review it, (3) place a conspicuous notice on the Internet instructing individuals how to request access to such information, and (4) correct inaccurate information.
Directs the FTC to require information brokers to establish measures which facilitate the auditing or retracing of access to, or transmissions of, any data containing personal information.
Makes it unlawful for information brokers to obtain or disclose personal information by false pretenses (pretexting).
Requires such person to notify the FTC and affected individuals of information security breaches. Sets forth requirements concerning such notification, including method of notification requirements and timeliness requirements. Allows an exemption from notification requirements if such person determines that there is no reasonable risk of identity theft, fraud, or other unlawful conduct.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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