Senate Passes IoT Resolution To Promote 'Greater Consumer Empowerment'

The Senate unanimously approved an IoT resolution to “promote economic growth and greater consumer empowerment,” said a joint news release Tuesday. The resolution was introduced by Sens. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, earlier this month (see 1503040052) after the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on IoT earlier this year (see 1502110035), and “calls for a modern framework around innovation,” recognizes the “importance of consensus-based best practices and the need for innovators to drive the future development” of IoT. The bipartisan resolution “incentives the use of new technologies and seeks to maximize consumer opportunity and economic growth,” Fischer said. “Passing this resolution underscores our strong commitment to fostering innovation, protecting consumers and finding solutions to our toughest problems through technology-driven solutions,” Booker said. “Innovation and free-market principles must drive our hands-off regulatory approach, not overregulation,” Ayotte said. “As we work to advance the Internet of Things, we must remain committed to empowering consumers, developing technological safeguards while enabling innovation, and improving the quality of life for future generations,” Schatz said. Also Tuesday, a House Commerce Subcommittee held an IoT hearing (see 1503240040).