“The private sector needs to take the lead in protecting the Virtual You by continuing to foster market regulation before big government rushes in to fill its perceived regulatory vacuum. Consumers want lawmakers to be cautious to avoid unintended consequences that will end up costing America jobs. Government should lead by example instead of dictating European models of regulation that could stall US-based growth and innovation in our thriving tech sector. We need to look more closely at respecting the original Bill of Rights before we start mandating new rules or writing more legislation.”

Congressman Blackburn has been a leader in the fight to keep the internet free from government control. She has held roundtable discussions on the issue of online privacy in New York, Washington, DC, California, and Tennessee. She has worked closely with industry leaders, academics, former regulators, and tech policymakers to encourage the private sector to take the lead in protecting consumer information. Congressman Blackburn, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology and vice chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, pledged to conduct a national series of tech industry roundtables in a speech to the Telecommunications Industry Association in Texas last spring. Congressman Blackburn also recently wrote an op-ed titled “The FTC’s Internet Kill Switch” that addresses why any proposed privacy regulation must consider the costs of diminished competition and innovation.