Jeff Gelles: Is Congress taking wrong direction on data privacy?

Here. An excerpt:

To opponents, the bill might better be named the "Data Insecurity and Breach Hiding Act." Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, says its passage "would be a giant step backward for consumer protection."

Even more emphatic is John Breyault of the National Consumers League.

"Only in Washington would they think about actually reducing existing data-security protections at a time when tens of millions of consumers are being hurt by these massive data breaches at companies like Target, Home Depot, and Anthem," Breyault told me Wednesday after the bill was passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee on a party-line vote.