Sponsor
Ronald Lee Wyden
Senator · D-OR
Senator · D-OR
The bill strengthens privacy protections for Members of Congress, staff, and immediate family by forcing rapid removal and limiting data-broker sales, but it shifts costs to online platforms, creates potential conflicts over definitions and exemptions, and may reduce media access to information about public officials.
Members of Congress, designated staff, and their immediate families can request removal of sensitive personal information from public federal records and websites, and data holders must remove it within 72 hours.
Covered persons gain protection against commercial monetization of their sensitive information because data brokers are barred from knowingly buying or selling that information.
Individuals have an enforcement pathway because the Attorney General and State attorneys general are authorized to enforce the law, increasing the likelihood of compliance and remedies for violations.
News outlets and publishers covering public officials may face increased removal demands and legal risk, potentially chilling investigative reporting about elected officials.
Websites, businesses, and data brokers must search for and remove covered information within 72 hours, creating compliance costs and operational burdens—especially for small online platforms and startups.
Broad or vague definitions of what counts as 'covered information' or 'public concern' are likely to generate disputes and litigation, increasing administrative burden on agencies and courts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Defines protected categories of sensitive personal data for "at‑risk" congressional individuals and defines "data broker," carving out FEC/state candidacy filings.
Official title: Improve the safety and security of Members of Congress, immediate family members of Members of Congress, and congressional staff, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 17, 2025 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress September 17, 2025
Creates definitions and a framework to protect highly sensitive personal information of Members of Congress, their families, certain employees, and other "at‑risk" individuals from exposure in public records and commercial data products. It lists specific kinds of protected data (home addresses, personal contact info, precise geolocation, financial identifiers, minor child identity, school routes, etc.), defines who counts as an at‑risk individual and as a data broker, and carves out limited exclusions for FEC/state filings required to qualify or report candidacy.