Sponsored by Senators Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and John McCain (R-Arizona), the U.S. SAFE WEB Act is intended to give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more power tools for better protecting consumers against online issues like spam, spyware and Internet fraud.
Specific provisions of the Act would:
- Provide for enhanced confidentiality of FTC investigations and prevents notifying subjects of investigations if they may be likely to destroy evidence or move assets offshore.
- Protect individuals or companies from liability for voluntary disclosures to the FTC relating to suspected fraud and deception, increasing the likelihood of such disclosures from third parties.
- Help the FTC track proceeds of fraud and deception sent through U.S. banks to foreign jurisdictions so they can be recovered and returned to victims.
- Encourage the full range of remedies for U.S. consumer victims in foreign courts.
- Permit the FTC to work with the Department of Justice to increase the resources relating to FTC-related foreign litigation, such as freezing foreign assets and enforcing U.S. court judgments abroad.
- authorize the FTC to share information with criminal authorities, which will improve information sharing with foreign agencies that treat consumer fraud and deception as a criminal law enforcement issue.
The U.S. SAFE WEB Act, enjoying bipartisan support, was passed by unanimous consent in the Senate and should be considered by the House later this year.
