David Saunders Discusses Federal Privacy Law Outlook with StateScoop

David Saunders spoke with StateScoop about the prospects for a comprehensive federal privacy law, which he and other experts say are increasingly unlikely this year as Congress contends with midterm elections and competing legislative priorities.

“Unfortunately, at this point, I think it is safe to assume we are not going to have a federal privacy law,” David said.

David explained that past efforts stalled in part due to opposition from states unwilling to see their existing privacy laws preempted. He noted that Congress has largely focused on issues like the economy, immigration, and national security over privacy, and that progress made in one legislative session, such as work on the SECURE Data Act, doesn’t automatically carry forward.

Looking ahead, David pointed to artificial intelligence as a potential trigger for federal action, adding that any crisis involving AI would likely force Congress to confront related privacy risks.

“At that moment, Congress will have to do something. When you’re considering AI, ancillary to it is privacy — protecting consumers from a disclosure of their information to a tool they can’t control. To me, that’s the lever.”

Read the full article in StateScoop.