US Senate beginning consideration of E-Commerce authentication . . .
The Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs has a subcommittee on Financial Services and Technology. It had a hearing yesterday on a bill proposed by the subcommittee chair, Robert Bennett (R-Utah), that would establish uniform national standards for electronic authentication of individuals in E-Commerce. See:
senate.gov
From here, if the link works right, you can link to either Bennett's statement and attached bill, or to the witness list and their prepared testimony.
Although Bennett's state apparently has a narrowly drawn "digital signature" E-Commerce statute, he states that his national proposal would be neutral in regards to what technology would be used. Florida and Texas, I understand, have more liberal laws that allow for biometrics. California is somewhere in the middle. Boxer's membership here is interesting, given that she represents Silicon Valley interests.
This is all very early stage, and please don't expect any final law passed this year or maybe even next year. But it is now officially on the radar screen of the US Congress. |
