Internet companies are perfectly happy to gobble up as much user data as possible so that they can sell it to third-party data brokers, monetize targeted ad networks, and even feed large language models that power the next generation of AI. For decades, this mass data grab went on with little legal regulation to rein in the worst offenders. However, House Republicans recently unveiled a new federal privacy bill that will change the way Big Tech handles personal and private data for good.What is the SECURE Data Act?Short for “Securing and Establishing Consumer Uniform Rights and Enforcement,” the SECURE Data Act directly gives users more control over the way companies access and use their personal information on the web. The bill establishes two major frameworks — one outlining the rights of consumers and the other to limit the actions of corporations.Users get full control over the collection and monetization of their data.Consumer rights under the SECURE Data ActAccess: Users have a right to know when a company accesses or processes their personal data, as long as this knowledge doesn’t violate company trade secrets.Pro: Users gain a full understanding of how their information is applied to the websites they visit, the apps they use, and the services they subscribe to. This, in turn, empowers them to make informed decisions on which companies they choose to support based on their data collection practices.Con: Companies will have to invest in expensive resources to document and report on the data of every user, costing the company time and money that lead to potential reporting delays.Corrections: Users can contact a company to correct inaccurate details saved in their personal data. This can include user names, email addresses, home addresses, and other markers.Pro: Users ensure that any information a company uses is current and accurate to prevent errors.Con: Companies can use the updated information to build optimized profiles of its users for even more targeted online tracking.Deletion: If the user no longer wants a company to access their data, they can request to have their information deleted from a company’s servers entirely. This includes data that the user provides themselves, as well as information the company gathers on its own.Pro: Users get full control over the collection and monetization of their data, and they can revoke access if the company abuses that power. This can also be used as a tool to boycott companies if/when companies take a stance that opposes the views and beliefs of their users.Con: Companies will miss out on vital data that they would use to build better products and services for their customers, potentially leading to the stagnation of future apps, products, and services.RELATED: Democrat bill would force you to give Big Tech your ID just to use your phone — or the internet Man_Half-tube/Getty Images Transferability: User data must be stored in a format that can be exported and transferred to another company, such as in the case of switching from an app, service, or operating system to another.Pro: Instead of being locked into a certain platform or app, users can freely take their data to a competitor as they see fit. As an example, this will be especially useful for users who want to switch from iPhone to Android and vice versa.Con: Without an encrypted data standard across all platforms and services, converting data into an easily transferable format could weaken encryption and lead to potential data security risks.Control: Users reserve the right to opt out of selling their personal data to third-party partners or participating in targeted advertising.Pro: Users can actively prevent companies and data brokers from building digital profiles that track users’ buying habits, online interests, and more.Con: A lack of user data could cause economic damage to the marketing and digital ad industries.Company limits under the SECURE Data ActIn order to supply consumers with the rights above, companies must adhere to these key mandates:Minimization: Companies are limited from collecting user data en masse, instead restricting them to gather only what is considered “adequate” for their business.Pro: Companies are ultimately barred from spying on their customers' online habits, a huge win for the sake of user privacy.Con: This restriction is too vague without any real hard limits, leaving it open to interpretation. For instance, a company like Google may insist that large amounts of user data are necessary to support its free services and ad business, while competitors are barred from gathering to the same degree.Limitations: Gathered data can only be used for the expressed reason it was collected, and companies can’t save or repurpose data for other projects without users’ consent.Pro: Users can feel confident that their data isn’t being used in secret projects or private moneymaking schemes.Con: This may limit a company’s ability to...