When considering wireless innovation, you may have heard that we are limited only by our imagination. Between driverless cars and remote surgery, connections made via new 5G network technology are getting ready to revolutionize the way that we live and do business. This will give us faster speed, increase coverage, and increase connections across the country.

The goal of policymakers is to put in place rules that protect consumers and do no harm to the current robust online experience.  As lawmakers in Congress continue to develop a national privacy approach, entities abroad and state and local governments in the U.S. are attempting to fill the void, by introducing and passing sweeping and confusing privacy legislation.

In today’s online environment, taking the wrong approach to privacy protection could have significant consequences for consumers and limit the innovation that has made our lives better, our communities safer and our economy more prosperous. New technologies, like AI and VR/AR, are poised to unlock powerful consumer benefits. Adaptable, technology-neutral privacy protections are key to continuing the American tradition of innovation.

Privacy obligations that fluctuate from town to town, city to city, and state to state will generate consumer confusion and notification fatigue as multiple requirements are imposed throughout the day. For instance, should your internet experience be dictated collectively by rules imposed on residents specific to San Francisco, specific to Seattle, specific to Fargo and specific to New York?

The misuse of consumer information needs to be prevented with clear and consistent obligations and rules enforced through a national privacy regime that is transparent, applied equally across technology platforms and is cognizant of the need to protect innovation which has enabled the U.S. to be a world leader in wireless technology.

Learn more about why we need a clear and consistent national policy.