Sen. Maria Cantwell, known for her stance on internet privacy, has reached a bipartisan agreement with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers on federal privacy protections.

The American Privacy Rights Act of 2024, the result of their collaboration, aims to empower consumers by establishing a national data broker registry and allowing them to block the sale of their data.

Despite the announcement, there is skepticism surrounding Cantwell's ability to drive the legislation forward, partly due to her connections to the tech industry and staff turnover issues.

Congressional committees are set to hold legislative hearings on the proposed act, with intentions to progress the bill in the coming weeks.

There is a critical deadline for the bill to be passed by November 5, 2024, before the nationwide elections, as it holds the potential to set international privacy standards.