France’s digital service tax (DST) is a radical departure from international norm, discriminates against U.S. companies and undermines efforts to reach global, multilateral consensus on the digital economy, tech companies and trade groups told U.S. officials Monday (see 1908140056). Witnesses from Facebook, Google, Amazon, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Information Technology Industry Council testified before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and officials from various federal agencies. Representatives from the departments of Commerce, State, Agriculture, Homeland Security and others questioned tech witnesses as part of the USTR’s Section 301 investigation of France’s DST.

It’s a “significant problem” that consumers lack the ability to opt out of doing business with credit reporting agencies like Equifax, which collect data indirectly, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Vice President Daniel Castro said during an interview on C-SPAN's The Communicators to be televised Saturday and posted here Friday. There are legitimate questions about government oversight for credit entities, he said. Castro believes policymakers should consider ways to make certain types of consumer data less valuable. Social Security numbers, one of the most valuable pieces of information, shouldn’t be the sole input for verifying identity, he said. Castro was asked about ITIF’s study on the cost of the U.S. adopting a federal privacy law mirroring laws in the EU or California (see 1908050058). The key is to create a privacy law at reasonable cost, he said: Consumers should have enhanced privacy, but they should retain access to innovative products and services. On data breaches, such as those that Capital One, Equifax and Target have suffered, the analyst said that companies could offer customers a "menu of options" such as password-storage or other services rather than frequent credit monitoring at no cost. He noted that such monitoring is often provided for free, anyway. Equifax didn't comment right away Thursday.

It’s a “significant problem” that consumers lack the ability to opt out of doing business with credit reporting agencies like Equifax, which collect data indirectly, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Vice President Daniel Castro said during an interview on C-SPAN's The Communicators to be televised Saturday and posted here Friday. There are legitimate questions about government oversight for credit entities, he said. Castro believes policymakers should consider ways to make certain types of consumer data less valuable. Social Security numbers, one of the most valuable pieces of information, shouldn’t be the sole input for verifying identity, he said. Castro was asked about ITIF’s study on the cost of the U.S. adopting a federal privacy law mirroring laws in the EU or California (see 1908050058). The key is to create a privacy law at reasonable cost, he said: Consumers should have enhanced privacy, but they should retain access to innovative products and services. On data breaches, such as those that Capital One, Equifax and Target have suffered, the analyst said that companies could offer customers a "menu of options" such as password-storage or other services rather than frequent credit monitoring at no cost. He noted that such monitoring is often provided for free, anyway. Equifax didn't comment right away Thursday.

It’s a “significant problem” that consumers lack the ability to opt out of doing business with credit reporting agencies like Equifax, which collect data indirectly, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Vice President Daniel Castro said during an interview on C-SPAN's The Communicators to be televised Saturday and posted here Friday. There are legitimate questions about government oversight for credit entities, he said. Castro believes policymakers should consider ways to make certain types of consumer data less valuable. Social Security numbers, one of the most valuable pieces of information, shouldn’t be the sole input for verifying identity, he said. Castro was asked about ITIF’s study on the cost of the U.S. adopting a federal privacy law mirroring laws in the EU or California (see 1908050058). The key is to create a privacy law at reasonable cost, he said: Consumers should have enhanced privacy, but they should retain access to innovative products and services. On data breaches, such as those that Capital One, Equifax and Target have suffered, the analyst said that companies could offer customers a "menu of options" such as password-storage or other services rather than frequent credit monitoring at no cost. He noted that such monitoring is often provided for free, anyway. Equifax didn't comment right away Thursday.

About 10 comments from associations and companies that would be affected by France's digital services tax backed U.S. concern, many saying there's a discriminatory DST intent against American companies. Some told the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in advance testimony that U.S. tariffs on French imports aren't the way to fix the problem. Sixteen filings in USTR-2019-0009 were posted through this week. A USTR hearing is set for Monday (see 1907150037).

About 10 comments from associations and companies that would be affected by France's digital services tax backed U.S. concern, many saying there's a discriminatory DST intent against American companies. Some told the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in advance testimony that U.S. tariffs on French imports aren't the way to fix the problem. Sixteen filings in USTR-2019-0009 were posted through this week. A USTR hearing is set for Monday (see 1907150037).

Ten comments documents filed by trade groups and companies that would be affected by a digital services tax imposed in France -- as well as one filing by a European think tank -- describe the problems with the tax and the discriminatory intent against U.S. companies. But three of the groups, and one company, told the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that tariffs on French imports under Section 301 are not the way to fix the problem, while only two individuals called for tariffs as a way to get France to roll back the law.

Federal privacy legislation with key provisions from laws in Europe and California “could cost the U.S. economy about $122 billion per year,” the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation reported Monday. That amount was calculated based on expenses for data protection officers, privacy audits, data infrastructure and other expected line items, ITIF said.

Federal privacy legislation with key provisions from laws in Europe and California “could cost the U.S. economy about $122 billion per year,” the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation reported Monday. That amount was calculated based on expenses for data protection officers, privacy audits, data infrastructure and other expected line items, ITIF said.

The EU’s general data protection regulation is failing to increase online consumer trust, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s Center for Data Innovation argued Monday. ITIF cited articles and reports discrediting the GDPR as failing to fulfill its intended purpose. Four of five Europeans “who provide personal information online feel they have no control or partial control over this information,” ITIF said, citing European Commission data from June. Companies “reported spending an average of $1.3 million in 2017 on GDPR compliance and were expected to spend an additional $1.8 million in 2018,” ITIF said, citing a 2018 report from the International Association of Privacy Professionals and Ernst & Young.