We Are Watching You Act of 2017
Latest action · Feb 3, 2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 27, 2017
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
We Are Watching You Act of 2017
This bill prohibits an operator of a video service from collecting visual or auditory information from the vicinity of the device used to display the video programming stream to the consumer unless the operator: (1) displays, as part of the stream, a message that reads, "We are watching you"; and (2) describes to the consumer the types of information that will be collected and how such information will be used.
The description of information collection must be provided: (1) as part of the terms and conditions to which the consumer must agree before using the video service; and (2) in the case of a video service accessed through a device sold or provided to the consumer by the operator, as part of the written instructions and other materials accompanying such device.
Operators must offer an alternative video service that does not involve the collection of such information but is otherwise identical. Any devices provided in connection with such alternative service must be incapable of collecting such information.
Operators may disclose such information only with the express consent of the consumer or as required by a court order in connection with a law enforcement investigation.
Violations of this bill are to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.
Cosponsors 6
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 20, 2017 to Jun 6, 2017.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NH | Carol Shea-Porter | Mar 20, 2017 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Mar 20, 2017 | |
| D-TX | Sheila Jackson Lee | Mar 20, 2017 | |
| R-NC | Walter B. Jones | Mar 20, 2017 | |
| D-CA | Mark Takano | May 8, 2017 | |
| D-MA | Niki Tsongas | Jun 6, 2017 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jan 27, 2017 |
| Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee | Referred Feb 3, 2017 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 3, 2017Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.
- Jan 27, 2017Introduced in House
- Jan 27, 2017Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 163, no. 14, January 27, 2017, page H702.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1164 | We Are Watching You Act of 2015 | Reintroduction of | Mar 6, 2015 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To provide for notification to consumers before a video service collects visual or auditory information from the viewing area and to provide consumers with choices that do not involve the collection of such information, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- We Are Watching You Act of 2017
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Commerce.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 27, 2017Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
