Obama to Propose Laws on Data Hacking

President Barack Obama will ask Congress to pass legislation that would require companies to better protect consumer data as well as tighten restrictions on student data privacy, according to a White House official. The Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, which Obama is expected to announce at the Federal Trade Commission on Monday, comes in the wake of recent company breaches including Sony, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, and Target. U.S. companies would be required to inform customers within 30 days if their data has been hacked, while also making it a crime to sell customers’ identities overseas. Obama will also propose the Student Digital Privacy Act, which would prevent companies from selling student information to third parties and from using school data for targeted advertising.