Cybersecurity Policy Report, Lofgren Tries Again on Comprehensive Privacy Legislation, (Mar 20, 2026)
Organizations Mentioned:Public Knowledge
Legislation that would create a broad range of new privacy rights for Americans and establish a Digital Privacy Agency has been reintroduced for the fourth time by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.).
The Online Privacy Act (OPA) (H.R. 8014, 119th Cong. (2026)) would give Americans the right to “access, correct, delete, and transfer data about them; choose for how long their data can be kept; and request a human review of impactful automated decisions,” according to a news release.
It would require companies to “articulate the need for and minimize the user data they collect, process, disclose, and maintain,” according to a summary, and would prohibit the selling or sharing of personal data without explicit consent from the data subject. The use of personal data for targeted ads would also be banned, the summary notes.
A new Digital Privacy Agency would enforce the law, but enforcement would also be allowed by state attorneys general and lawsuits filed by aggrieved individuals, the summary says.
Similar legislation introduced by Rep. Lofgren and former Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.) in 2019, 2021, and 2023 failed to advance in the House (CPR, April 19, 2023).
“Privacy is a fundamental right, but for too long, Congress has failed to set clear nationwide rules to protect Americans’ personal data. The Online Privacy Act gives Americans the power to view, correct, and delete their information,” Rep. Lofgren said. “This legislation shifts power back to the people and ensures federal law finally catches up to the realities of the 21st century.”
The bill was endorsed by Public Knowledge and Free Press Action. “It’s unbelievable that in 2026, after years of understanding the harms that come from rampant data collection, we still don’t have a comprehensive federal data privacy standard,” said Amanda Beckham, Free Press Action’s director–government relations.
“Private companies collect an enormous amount of our personal data,” Ms. Beckham said. “Websites, apps, and devices we wear or carry collect information about where we work, the places we visit, our browsing history, political opinions, medical and biometric data, and more. When aggregated, all of this data represents the power to influence, manipulate, and discriminate.”
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