Obama Proposes Personal Data Notification Law
New statute would require companies to report break-ins to consumers.
President Obama proposed new legislation that would standardize rules for companies reporting credit card compromise to their customers. The "Personal Data Notification and Protection Act” (if enacted by Congress) would require that companies inform their customers within 30 days after discovering an attack.
In the US, statutes related to reporting cybercrime are typically defined at the state level, meaning that the country has a confusing muddle of different laws with different requirements and protections. The situation is especially confusing for a consumer doing business with a company in another state. The law proposed by the president would provide uniform requirements for consumer protection.
Some consumer advocates have pointed out that, although the law would raise the notification requirements for several states, for other states, the federal law will be less strict than laws already in place. The intent of the law is apparently to set a minimum that would then allow states to set stricter requirements, but some advocates are waiting for the details before voicing support for the initiative.
President Obama also proposed the Student Data Privacy Act, which would restrict the ability of technology companies to profit from data mining students using Internet-connected devices in educational settings.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.