Groups Ask Senate Commerce to Host 6 Privacy Witnesses, State AGs

The Senate Commerce Committee should have six consumer privacy experts testify on data privacy after lawmakers heard last week from an all-industry panel on potential legislation (see 1809260050), privacy groups wrote Monday. Groups signing included Center for Digital Democracy, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, New America's Open Technology Institute and World Privacy Forum. Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said at the last hearing the committee expects to hear testimony in early October from California privacy activist Alastair Mactaggart and EU chief data privacy regulator Andrea Jelinek. The groups’ letter suggested testimony from Jelinek and state attorneys general. DOJ recently met with state AGs in Washington, where they discussed tech industry concerns (see 1809280041). An aide said the committee was "surprised" the letter didn't acknowledge the witness commitment from Mactaggart, "who has perhaps had greater impact in advancing data privacy protections than any other U.S. individual or organization."