Upper East Texas News

Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) has introduced H.R. 6573, the Protecting Military Servicemembers' Data Act of 2023. This bill aims to prevent data brokers from selling lists of U.S. military service members to adversarial nations. Rep. Fallon is proud to co-sponsor this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33).

Congressman Fallon expressed his concern about the sale of sensitive personal data of active-duty service members, stating, "It is a travesty that sensitive and highly detailed personal data for thousands of active-duty service members is up for sale to the highest bidder, including adversarial nations." He emphasized the importance of protecting the data of U.S. service members and preventing data brokers from selling military personnel data to countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Congressman Veasey also highlighted the need to protect the personal and private data of servicemembers and joined Rep. Fallon in introducing the Protecting Military Servicemembers' Data Act of 2023, which prohibits data brokers from providing servicemembers' data to adversarial nations.

The need for this legislation is underscored by a recent study conducted by Duke University, which revealed that malicious actors can easily obtain and utilize personal information of military personnel for various harmful purposes, including blackmail and misinformation campaigns. The study involved contacting 12 data brokers to collect personal information on military personnel, resulting in the acquisition of data from nearly 45,000 servicemembers and approximately 5,000 friends and family members. The data collected included sensitive details such as full names, addresses, health and financial information, as well as personal information about their ethnicity, religious practices, political affiliation, marital status, home ownership, and even information about their children. This poses a significant national security risk.

The Protecting Military Servicemembers' Data Act specifically aims to prohibit data brokers from trading military service members' data with adversarial nations. Additionally, it grants enforcement power to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the Unfair and Deceptive Acts of Practice and allows for civil charges as an enforcement mechanism.

Currently, the bill has garnered support from 17 co-sponsors, including Reps. Marc Veasey, Ronny Jackson, Lance Gooden, Corey Mills, Stephanie Bice, Burgess Owens, Zach Nunn, Tom Cole, Anna Paulina Luna, Dusty Johnson, Elise Stefanik, Rich McCormick, Eli Crane, Randy Feenstra, Rob Wittman, Carlos Gimenez, and Don Davis. In the U.S. Senate, a companion bill has been introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

The Protecting Military Servicemembers' Data Act is a crucial step towards safeguarding the personal and private data of our brave servicemembers against malicious online attacks and ensuring their security in an increasingly digital world.

To find out more, go to this link: https://fallon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=346