Privacy advocacy groups are pressing US legislators for tougher requirements to protect consumer data in a draft consumer privacy law.

U.S. Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) were the recipients of a June 4 letter from 10 groups, including the Center for Digital Democracy, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Consumer Watchdog and the World Privacy Forum. The letter was a detailed response to a draft version of a bill under consideration by the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, ModernHealthcare.com reports.

The groups said the bill is a good start, but needs more work. They want the category of "sensitive information" to include more kinds of health-related information. They want the committee to require opt-in procedures for collection and use of data. Also, the groups urged legislators to incorporate the Federal Trade Commission's Fair Information Practice Principles into the bill.

"Consumers increasingly rely on the Internet and other digital services for a wide range of transactions and services, many of which involve their most sensitive affairs, including health, financial and other personal matters," the groups said in the letter. "Strong legislation is necessary to protect consumers from consequences that they never imagined or agreed to."

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The bill should incorporate the Fair Information Practice Principles that have long served as the bedrock of consumer privacy protection in the U.S., including the principle of not collecting more data than is necessary for the stated purposes, limits on how long data should be retained, and a right to access and correct one's data.