Congress expands privacy law to shield license plates, biometric data, workplace addresses

What it does

This bill amends federal law to expand the definition of 'restricted personal information' under 18 U.S.C. § 119 by adding four new categories: license plate numbers, biometric information, workplace addresses, and school addresses. The change removes a narrow carve-out that previously allowed disclosure of 'home fax number' and replaces it with a broader list that includes that fax number plus the four new items, making it illegal to knowingly disclose these data points about individuals.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is to expand the statutory definition of protected personal information, strengthening privacy safeguards against unauthorized disclosure of sensitive identifiers and locational data.

What the text implies

• The bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violation; those remain governed by existing 18 U.S.C. § 119 enforcement provisions, which may limit practical deterrent effect if penalties are weak.
• Biometric information is now protected, but the bill does not define what constitutes 'biometric information' — courts and agencies will need to interpret scope (fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, voice patterns, etc.).

The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens gain explicit legal protection against disclosure of sensitive personal data (license plates, biometric information, workplace and school addresses, GPS coordinates) that could enable stalking, harassment, identity theft, or physical harm. The expansion of restricted information categories strengthens privacy rights without imposing costs on the public.