Technology, Privacy and AI

Data privacy

59 public statements from 2026 candidates · 1 related bill

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Apps, websites and stores gather information about where people go, what they buy and what they search for, and these rules decide who can use or sell it.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

What personal information companies may collect, use and sell, and what rights people have over it, which some states, such as California, have set in their own privacy laws.1

  1. Limit collection to what a service needs, and let people sue companies that break the rules
  2. Give people rights to see and delete their data and stop its sale, enforced by government regulators
  3. One national law with basic rights, such as deleting your data, that replaces state privacy laws
  4. No new general privacy law; rely on current laws

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Limit collection to what a service needs, and let people sue companies that break the rules (1)

  • Natalie M Fleming ID Senate
    Her campaign website says personal data should be treated as private property, and her Freedom From Surveillance Act proposal would bar collecting or selling personal data without specific consent, give people rights to see, correct and delete their data, let them sue violators, and create a federal privacy enforcement agency.2,3

Give people rights to see and delete their data and stop its sale, enforced by government regulators (3)

  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says he would pass a federal consumer privacy law giving every American the right to know what data companies collect, to delete it and to opt out of its sale, and require data brokers to register with the federal government.4
  • Brad A. Meyer IN-9
    His campaign website says he would establish a Data Bill of Rights guaranteeing access, deletion and portability and give data protection authorities enforcement and subpoena power.5
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website proposes requiring opt-in consent for data sales and transfers and giving every American a federally protected right to view, correct, delete, download, transfer or sell their personal data, with penalties for refusal or delay.6

Statements that don't match one option (55)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says she supports federal privacy legislation barring tech and telecom companies from tracking, storing or selling location data, search histories or health app data without users' explicit consent.7
  • Eric Jones CA-4
    His campaign website calls for privacy standards that give people ownership of their data, and for a moratorium on government use of Flock's license-plate camera network until Congress sets federal rules.8,9
  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she opposes license-plate camera networks such as Flock and would work to stop government agencies from buying people's location data, require warrants before that data is searched and limit how long it is kept.10
  • Jamie Joyce CA-12
    Her campaign website says the MAD Act would dismantle the surveillance state; the bill's website says it would require data brokers to destroy their files on Americans, ban psychological profiling of individuals, and bar government agencies from buying commercial data on Americans instead of getting a warrant, subpoena or consent.11,12,13
  • Sam Liccardo CA-16
    His campaign website says a federal privacy law should limit data collection to what a company needs, require consent before data is sold, let consumers see and correct their data, allow lawsuits against serious violators and set one national standard that preempts state laws.14
  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website lists his Internet Bill of Rights, a set of principles on online privacy, net neutrality and consumer control over data.15,16
  • Zoe Lofgren CA-18
    Her official biography says she introduced the Online Privacy Act, which would create user rights, require companies to protect users' data and set up a new federal agency to enforce privacy protections.17
  • Randy Villegas CA-22
    His campaign website says tech companies should not be able to sell people's personal data to advertisers or use it to train AI models without their consent, and that he would work for legislation protecting personal data.18
  • Larry Thompson CA-32
    His campaign website's AI Bill of Rights says Americans own their personal information and that it should not be collected, sold or materially repurposed without lawful authorization or meaningful notice and choice, consistent with applicable law.19
  • Cristian Morales CA-43
    His campaign website's platform says he would protect Americans' privacy and personal data.20
  • Jimmy Patronis FL-1
    His campaign website says he has been working to change the law so Floridians can opt out of having large technology companies sell their personal data when they buy something online.21
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for a federal digital privacy law with real enforcement, data portability and meaningful consent before any commercial use of personal data.22
  • Mark Davis FL-16
    His policy platform says he opposes mass tracking of ordinary Americans and would limit how data brokers and corporations sell and exploit personal information.23
  • Michael J. Quirk FL-17
    His campaign website says he supports a federal privacy law under which companies collect only what they need, people can see and delete what companies hold, and violations bring consequences.24
  • Dean Ocean Abrams FL Governor
    His campaign website says Florida should make data collection opt-in by default, give people a one-click way to delete what a company holds on them, and require data brokers to register with the state.25
  • Caitlyn Gegen GA-9
    Her campaign website says private companies with ALPRs (automatic license plate readers) are infringing on people’s rights.26
  • Michael Bridgford IA-1
    His campaign website says he will champion comprehensive data privacy laws that give individuals ownership of their digital footprints and a right to opt out of data collection.27
  • Todd Achilles ID Senate
    His campaign website says people should have the right to control their personal information and demand that it be deleted.28
  • Kaylee Peterson ID-1
    Her campaign website says she will fight against warrantless mass surveillance and the unchecked sale of consumer data, and wants tech companies, facial recognition and automated camera systems heavily regulated.29
  • Ellie Gilbreath ID-2
    Her policies page says she will ensure data privacy and limit surveillance.30
  • Tripp Charles Hutchinson ID-2
    His platform page lists comprehensive data privacy among his commitments.31
  • Angel Oakley IL-3
    Her policy page says she will work to strengthen safeguards for personal data and give individuals meaningful control over their personal information.32
  • Chris Getty IL-4
    His campaign website says he will establish stronger rules for how personal information can be collected, stored and used.33
  • La Shawn K. Ford IL-7
    His campaign website says he will work to advance digital privacy protections.34
  • Daniel Biss IL-9
    His campaign website says he supports laws that give people the right to see the data tech companies have stored about them, ask to have it deleted and take it to other sites.35
  • Katy Tyndell KS-4
    Her campaign website says she will champion legislation to protect the privacy of people online, especially young people, so that technology companies cannot endlessly mine users' personal data.36
  • S. Brett Guthrie KY-2
    His campaign website says he is championing legislation that protects consumer privacy online.37
  • Mikel Wein KY-5
    His campaign website lists legislation to regulate dynamic pricing and limit personal data gathering by rewards and pricing algorithms among its longer-term actions.38
  • Pete Lynch KY-6
    His campaign website says he supports a federal law that would require a warrant before companies give individuals' information to law enforcement, ban data brokers from selling Americans' geolocation and restrict license-plate-reader systems, and says companies that monetize user data should let people opt out and pay those who opt in.39
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page lists a ban on the sale of American data to foreign adversaries among his technology goals.40
  • Dan Schwartz MD-1
    His campaign website says he would enhance data privacy protections against corporations and the government.41
  • April McClain Delaney MD-6
    Her campaign website says privacy laws need to be strengthened.42
  • Nancy Wallace MD-8
    Her campaign website says she would introduce a national Electronic Privacy Bill of Rights, and supports legal limits on or a prohibition of private corporations collecting information on students through school-issued devices.43
  • Christian Vukasovich MI-5
    His campaign website says he supports requiring government agencies to get a warrant before buying Americans' personal information from data brokers, and firm limits on how tech companies gather, keep and sell people's data.44
  • Ronald A Muszynski MI-5
    His campaign website lists surveillance among its main issues, saying government and big business record and store people's calls, texts, emails, digital purchases and travels, that AI and data centers let that data be analyzed quickly, and that Republicans and Democrats alike back such surveillance except where their own privacy is concerned.45
  • C. Mia Pettus MI-8
    Her campaign website lists consumer data rights, transparency in the collection, sale, sharing and use of personal information and CCPA and CPRA principles among its priorities.46
  • DeVelle L. Jackson MN-5
    His platform says he will push for one broad federal law on privacy and data rights, under which privacy is the starting point and people control how their information is collected, used, sold and retained.47
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website lists a federal privacy law with real enforcement, limits on data brokers and a ban on selling sensitive personal data without permission.48
  • Missi Hesketh MO-7
    Her Protect Our Kids’ Future page says she wants data privacy standards modeled on the GDPR to limit how businesses gather, retain and sell personal information, particularly minors’ information.49
  • Michael A. Chiaradio MS-3
    His statement on artificial intelligence, linked from his Issues page, says he supports privacy rules on how personal information is gathered and kept.50
  • Seth Bodnar MT Senate
    His campaign website says every Montanan should have the right to know what data is collected about them and the right to say no.51
  • Sam Forstag MT-1
    His campaign website says he would give every American the right to keep AI companies from using their data, protect the ability of states to regulate or limit invasive technologies such as facial recognition, and require AI companies to pay people when their personal data is used to build AI systems.52
  • Shannon W. Bray NC Senate
    His campaign website says people should own their data, with consent for each use that is specific, revocable and enforceable through tamper-evident audit records and penalties for violations.53
  • Colby Watson NC-8
    His campaign website's Education page says he would bar social media companies from gathering data about anyone under 18.54
  • Jack Codiga NC-12
    His platform page says people should be able to refuse to share personal information and still use digital services, and that it should be a crime for the government and private companies to collude in passing information to the government without a warrant.55
  • Dan Osborn NE Senate
    His campaign website says he supports strong consumer privacy protections to stop companies from using people's personal data to charge them more.56
  • Mark Cohen NE-3
    His campaign website says he will support comprehensive federal data privacy legislation giving Americans the right to know what data is collected about them and who buys and sells it, and to correct it, opt out of collection and have it deleted.57
  • John E. Sununu NH Senate
    His campaign website says that, with privacy under threat from government overreach and Big Tech, he will hold them accountable and defend Americans' right to be free from surveillance.58
  • Maggie Goodlander NH-2
    Her campaign website says she is championing the SLASH Prices Act, which would require companies to disclose when they use algorithms and personal information to set prices and would let people opt out without paying more or getting worse service.59
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    The same list also includes what it calls common-sense privacy laws.60
  • Alan B. Bond NJ-11
    His campaign story on protecting money in a digital world says organizations should keep reasonable safeguards and act quickly after data breaches, that consumers should be told promptly when their information is compromised, and that federal agencies holding sensitive information must meet high cybersecurity standards.61
  • Annie Andrews SC Senate
    Her campaign website says she would rein in tech companies that misuse personal data and establish a national digital bill of rights.62
  • Lauren Pinkston TN Governor
    Her campaign website says companies that profit from selling Tennesseans' personal data should share that revenue with residents and disclose what they collect, and calls for closing loopholes in the state's data privacy law.63
  • Pat Dixon TX Governor
    His campaign website says buying people's private data without their consent should be illegal, and it proposes limits on government camera surveillance, including a warrant to reconstruct a person's movements over time.64
  • Amanda Janoo VT Governor
    Her campaign website says she would strengthen Vermont's Digital Bill of Rights, giving people the right to see, correct, move and delete their personal data and to opt out of targeted advertising, and would ban the sale of sensitive personal information.65

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.