| Year | Pres. | House | Senate | Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | R | R | R | |||
| 1904 | R | R | R | |||
| 1908 | R | R | R | |||
| 1912 | R | D | R | |||
| 1914 | D | D | D | Establishment of FTC | ||
| 1916 | D | D | D | |||
| 1920 | D | R | R | |||
| 1924 | R | R | R | |||
| 1928 | R | R | R | |||
| 1932 | R | R | R | |||
| 1936 | D | D | D | |||
| 1940 | D | D | D | |||
| 1944 | D | D | D | |||
| 1948 | D | R | R | |||
| 1952 | D | D | D | |||
| 1956 | R | D | D | We believe that this trend toward secrecy in Government should be reversed and that the Federal Government should return to its basic tradition of exchanging and promoting the freest flow of information possible in those unclassified areas where secrets involving weapons development and bona fide national security are not involved. | ||
| 1960 | R | D | D | Information must flow freely, save in those areas in which the national security is involved. | Prosser publishes Privacy Article, defining privacy torts |
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| 1964 | D | D | D | |||
| 1967 | D | D | D | US v. Katz. Extended 4th amendment protections beyond citizens’ homes and personal property. Freedom of Information Act passes | ||
| 1968 | D | D | D | In fighting crime we must not foster injustice. Lawlessness cannot be ended by curtailing the hard-won liberties of all Americans. The right of privacy must be safeguarded. Court procedures must be expedited. Justice delayed is justice denied. | The increasing government intrusion into the privacy of its employees and of citizens in general is intolerable. | |
| 1972 | R | D | D | We strongly object to secret computer data banks on individuals. Citizens should have access to their own files that are maintained by private commercial firms and the right to insert corrective material. Except in limited cases, the same should apply to government files. Collection and maintenance by federal agencies of dossiers on law-abiding citizens, because of their political views and statements, must be stopped, and files which never should have been opened should be destroyed. We firmly reject the idea of a National Computer Data Bank. . . Immediately strengthen the Federal Freedom of Information Act. Congress should improve its oversight of Executive secrecy by requiring federal agencies to report annually on every refusal to grant information requested under the Act. | We will continue to defend the citizen’s right to privacy in our increasingly interdependent society. We oppose computerized national data banks and all other “Big Brother” schemes which endanger individual rights. | |
| 1974 | R | D | D | FERPA passed. Privacy safeguards for student education records. Privacy Act of 1974. |
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| 1976 | R | D | D | The Democratic Party is committed to openness throughout government: at regulatory commissions, advisory committee meetings and at hearings. . . Freedom of information requirements must be interpreted in keeping with the right of the individual to be free from anonymous accusation or slander. Each citizen has the right to know and to review any information directly concerning him or her held by the government for any purpose whatsoever under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, other than those exceptions set out in the Freedom of Information Act. Such information should be forthcoming promptly, without harassment and at a minimal cost to the citizen. . . We pledge effective and vigorous action to protect citizens’ privacy from bureaucratic technological intrusions, such as wiretapping and bugging without judicial scrutiny and supervision | Liberty depends in great measure on the privacy that each American retains. . . We are alarmed by Washington’s growing collection of information. The number of federal data banks is now estimated at between 800 and 900 and more than 50 agencies are involved. We question the need for all these computers to be storing the records of our lives. Safeguards must protect us against this information being misused or disclosed. Major changes, for example, are needed to maintain the confidentiality of tax returns and Society Security records. | |
| 1978 | D | D | D | The Presidential Records Act |
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| 1980 | D | D | D | Social and technological changes are threatening our citizens’ privacy. To meet this challenge, the Carter Administration has developed the first comprehensive: privacy policy. Under this policy, administrative action has been taken to cut the number of federal files on individuals and legislation has been passed to protect the privacy of telephone conversations and bank accounts. . . In the 1980s we must complete this privacy agenda. Broad legislation must be enacted to protect financial, insurance, medical, and research records. We must have these safeguards to preserve a healthy balance between efficiency and privacy. . . Workers should have the right to review all records retained by their employers relating to medical and employment information. | The essence of freedom is the right of law- abiding individuals to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without undue governmental intervention. . . Republicans share the concerns of our citizens as to the nature, use, and final disposition of the volume of personal information being collected. We are alarmed by Washington’s growing collection and dissemination of such data. There must be protection against its misuse or disclosure. . . The Republican Party commits itself to guaranteeing an individual’s right of privacy. We support efforts of state governments to ensure individual privacy. | |
| 1984 | R | D | R | We are the party of limited government. We are deeply suspicious of the amount of information which governments collect. Governments limited in size and scope best ensure our people’s privacy. Particularly in the computer age, we must ensure that no unnecessary information is demanded and that no disclosure is made which is not approved. We oppose national identification cards. | ||
| 1986 | R | D | R | Electronic Communications Privacy Act passed and National Do Not Call Registry |
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| 1988 | R | D | D | |||
| 1992 | R | D | D | |||
| 1996 | D | R | R | We propose to: . . . strengthen citizen privacy laws and reform the FBI to guard against the politicization of law enforcement that we have seen by the Clinton White House. | HIPAA passed. Protects medical records | |
| 1998 | D | R | R | COPPA. Protects children on the Internet |
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| 1999 | D | R | R | GLBA passed. Protects financial records. | ||
| 2000 | R | R | R | Al Gore has called for an Electronic Bill of Rights for this electronic age – including the right to choose whether personal information is disclosed; the right to know how, when, and how much of that information is being used; the right to see it yourself; and the right to know if is accurate. | Government also has a responsibility to protect personal privacy, which is the single greatest concern Americans now have about the Information Revolution. Citizens must have the confidence that their personal privacy will be respected in the use of technology by both business and government. | |
| 2004 | R | R | R | President Bush created the National Do Not Call Registry, a tool that will help ensure that telemarketers respect the privacy of our nation’s citizens. It will allow people to limit most unwanted telemarketing calls by registering their home or cell phone numbers. . . Unauthorized and unwelcome email, commonly known as spam, interferes with efficient and effective business and family communications. We support efforts to address this growing problem. . . We praise President Bush and Republicans in Congress for passing the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which established a national system of fraud detection so that identity thieves can be stopped before they run up tens of thousands of dollars in illegal purchases. | ||
| 2008 | R | D | D | We will strengthen privacy protections in the digital age and will harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy. . . We will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools to hunt down and take out terrorists without undermining our Constitution, our freedom, and our privacy. | ||
| 2010 | D | D | D | Red Flags Identify Theft Protection |
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| 2012 | D | R | D | Advancing our interests may involve new actions and policies to confront threats like terrorism, but the President and the Democratic Party believe these practices must always be in line with our Constitution, preserve our people’s privacy and civil liberties, and withstand the checks and balances that have served us so well. | ||
| 2016 | D | R | R | We will strengthen our cybersecurity, seek to establish global norms in cyberspace, and impose consequences on those who violate the rules. We will do this while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. . . Democrats reject the false choice between privacy interests and keeping Americans safe. We need liberty and security, and each makes the other possible. We will protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people—standing firm against the type of warrantless surveillance of American citizens that flourished during the Bush Administration. We support recent reforms to government bulk data collection programs so the government is not collecting and holding millions of files on innocent Americans. | We intend to advance policies that protect data privacy while fostering innovation and growth and ensuring the free flow of data across borders. . . At the same time, however, such innovations have brought new dangers, especially from criminals and terrorists who seek to use encryption technology to harm us. No matter the medium, citizens must retain the right to communicate with one another free from unlawful government intrusion. It will not be easy to balance privacy rights with the government’s legitimate need to access encrypted information. This issue is too important to be left to the courts. A Republican president and a Republican Congress must listen to the American people and forge a consensus | |
| 2020 | R | D | R | In the 21st century—and especially in the COVID- 19 pandemic—it is all but impossible for consumers, students, workers, and people with disabilities to opt out of using the internet to shop, socialize, learn, work, bank, and live. Democrats are committed to policies that will protect individuals’ privacy and data rights while continuing to support and enable innovation and improve accessibility in the technology sector. | ||
| 2024 | D | R | D | Democrats will pass bipartisan legislation to protect kids’ privacy and to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and put stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us. . . Democrats are determined to strengthen data privacy. The President issued an Executive Order to protect America’s sensitive personal data from commercial data brokers, identity thieves, and foreign intelligence actors. And, the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on commercial surveillance and taking on technology companies for illegally retaining children’s data. We must do more and update and pass the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, protect student data privacy by ensuring what is collected in schools is only used for education, and update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to protect personal electronic information and safeguard location |