Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he plans to introduce a bill related to data collection by both private industry and government.
During the Senate floor debate on passing the USA Freedom Act, which tries to limit (some say eliminate) bulk metadata collection by the NSA, Sanders said the private industry data collection is just as intrusive.
"I intend to shortly introduce legislation which will call for a comprehensive review of data collection by public and private entities and the impact that that data is having on the American people," he said.
He said he didn't know whether to call it progressive legislation or conservative legislation—spoken like a true independent—but he said he wanted to bring tech leaders together to talk about not only how technology is being used to invade privacy rights today, but what it could do tomorrow.
“It is absolutely imperative that as a nation we begin a serious conversation which includes some of the most knowledgeable people in this country, people who know about what technology can do today, which it can to tomorrow, and people who are concerned about civil liberties and privacy rights, and law enforcement officials, and national security people, and members of the Congress.” He said what that discussion should be about is simple: “how do we protect our country against terrorism and at the same time protect our privacy and constitutional freedoms.”
