Protecting Legislators and Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence from Doxing and Political Violence Act
The Protecting Legislators and Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence from Doxing and Political Violence Act seeks to shield Members of Congress, their immediate family, and congressional staff from having sensitive personal information exposed or sold. It creates a broad set of privacy protections around what it calls “covered information” (like home addresses, phone numbers, SSNs, bank details, school information, and precise geolocation). The bill requires government agencies to hide or remove such information from public records and online content upon request, and it bans data brokers from knowingly selling or transferring this information. It also empowers the named individuals to pursue civil actions if these protections are violated. While designed to improve safety, the bill preserves essential press and public-interest activities and provides several exceptions for lawful disclosures and reporting.
Key Points
- 1Scope and definitions: The bill designates “at-risk individuals” (Members of Congress, their immediate family, designated staff, and former Members) and defines “covered information” to include personal addresses, contact details, IDs, financial data, vehicle identifiers, school/day care information, and precise geolocation data. It also defines “data brokers” and lays out who counts as a “designated employee.”
- 2Government agency duties: Agencies must allow at-risk individuals to file notices to keep information private and must remove or seal covered information from public content within 72 hours of a request, with a process to avoid public posting of such data.
- 3Data brokers and business prohibitions: Data brokers are barred from knowingly selling or transferring covered information about a covered person. Other businesses cannot publicly post or display such information after a written request, with required removal within 72 hours, subject to limited exceptions.
- 4Exceptions and redress: The bill preserves freedom of the press and public-interest reporting, voluntary publication by the at-risk individual, and lawful disclosures from government sources. It also allows affected individuals to sue for injunctive or declaratory relief if their information is disclosed.
- 5Delegation and enforcement: Legislative officers can act on behalf of Members and designated staff to file notices or requests, and may provide lists to streamline compliance. Enforcement is primarily via civil action, with state attorneys general empowered to enforce the data-broker provisions.