To describe the polarized U.S. Congress as dysfunctional is too kind. In the current political climate, Republicans and Democrats do not often agree on much, but one thing that many agree on is the right to privacy.

According to a tweet from Punchbowl News (via Washington Post), the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee are close to an agreement to introduce comprehensive federal data protection standards. The bill would include provisions regarding the data that companies can collect and use, and would also allow individuals to sue these companies for violating their privacy rights.

On the surface, this sounds like a good bill. I am all for giving individuals more control over their data. Forcing companies to notify and inform consumers of their data collection and retention policies can only be a good thing. And I would be willing to ask permission as to whether or not I can share my data with third parties.

If you're like me, you hate targeted advertising. A few weeks ago I visited a pet food store to buy food for my cat. A few minutes later, I started seeing ads for pet food on a local weather site! No thanks! Some sort of opt-out solution would be welcome in my book.

If this bill is voted on the floor, it will mark the beginning of another attempt to pass a comprehensive data privacy law. While many attempts have been made over the decades, it has become an increasingly pressing issue after a series of data leaks and scandals that have caused a public outcry.

Although not proven in court, the latest example is that Netflix was allegedly given "programmatic" access to Facebook's direct messages.

The European Union introduced similar legislation in 2016. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) aims to give users rights over their personal information and data, prevent its misuse, and require companies to implement more robust security standards. While it has served as a model for many non-EU countries, the U.S. has found itself without a comprehensive solution

, and the U.S. has not adopted a comprehensive solution

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The U.S. already has safeguards that prohibit the sharing of users' health and financial data, but a more comprehensive national privacy policy is long overdue.

At this point, it is unclear when the bill will be brought to a vote, much less pass both houses, but it is good to see both parties united on this important issue.