Bill Overview
Title: Military Data Privacy Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit an unclassified report identifying certain defense entities that were, or are currently, obtaining in exchange for anything of value specified personal records of individuals (e.g., location data generated by phones likely to be located in the United States) and retaining or using such records without a court order. The report must be made available to the public on a DOD website.
Sponsors: Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-53]
Target Audience
Population: People in the United States whose location data may have been subject to collection by the DOD.
Estimated Size: 140000000
- The bill pertains to the Department of Defense and its handling of personal data.
- Any individuals whose data was obtained by the DOD without a court order could potentially be impacted.
- This includes individuals whose phone location data might have been collected.
- Given the bill mentions data likely to be located in the United States, it specifically concerns people with data in the US.
- This may include not only citizens but also residents and anyone whose phone location data is tracked in the US.
Reasoning
- The target population primarily includes those whose personal data, particularly location data, have been collected without a court order by the DOD.
- Those most affected are likely individuals who value privacy highly and have concerns about data collection.
- The policy may lead to increased transparency and trust, particularly among privacy-sensitive individuals.
- Individuals less concerned with data privacy may not experience significant changes in wellbeing as a result of this policy.
- The impact could vary significantly depending on individual awareness of and sensitivity to data privacy issues.
- Budget considerations suggest that widespread direct compensation or extensive outreach is unlikely, but the transparency initiative itself could affect perceived wellbeing by improving trust.
Simulated Interviews
Software Engineer (Boston, MA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think increased transparency about data collection is crucial.
- This policy could strengthen personal privacy rights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Teacher (Austin, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am somewhat concerned about who gets my data and how it's used.
- I feel safer if the DOD's actions are more transparent.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Marketing Specialist (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don’t really think about data privacy much.
- If this policy helps people feel more secure, it's probably good.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
IT Consultant (Seattle, WA)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am very concerned about my data falling into the wrong hands.
- This act could help ensure accountability at high levels.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Retired (Naples, FL)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not too worried about data privacy; I trust the government.
- This policy doesn't seem like it would affect me much.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
App Developer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transparency can only make things better for everyone's privacy.
- I hope the DOD takes meaningful steps to protect our data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
College Student (Columbus, OH)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't know much about this kind of policy.
- It sounds like a good idea for people who care about privacy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Lawyer (New York, NY)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a step in the right direction for legal transparency.
- I'm optimistic it will enhance protections for individuals.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Small Business Owner (Chicago, IL)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy should help us trust government institutions more.
- It could be important for businesses concerned about privacy regulations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Nurse (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I haven't worried much about data collection so far.
- This policy might not have a significant impact on my day-to-day life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 2: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 10: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Year 100: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $8000000)
Key Considerations
- Determining the specific defense entities involved and the scale of data collection operations will be crucial.
- Ensuring the security and legitimacy of the published data to protect sensitive information.
- Potential privacy enhancements and increased public trust in government operations.