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Trump Administration Kills Biden-Era Rule to Restrict Sale of Americans’ Personal Data

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The Trump administration has withdrawn a key Biden-era proposal that would have severely limited the sale of U.S. consumers’ personal data by third-party data brokers, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) confirmed Wednesday via a notice in the Federal Register.

The CFPB also scrapped proposed rules that aimed to:

  • Extend consumer protections to cryptocurrency and digital payment platforms

  • Ban certain fine print clauses in consumer finance contracts

📉 Why It Matters

Consumer privacy advocates say the rollback will leave Americans more vulnerable to scams, surveillance, and identity theft.

“The withdrawal of the data broker proposal leaves consumers vulnerable to scams and identity theft,” said Consumer Reports in a statement.

The Biden-era proposal, introduced in January, was championed by former CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, who warned that unregulated data sales posed both a personal and national security threat, particularly for government officials.

⚖️ Trump Administration’s Position

  • The CFPB, under acting director Russell Vought, said the proposal no longer reflects the bureau’s policy objectives.

  • Vought cited “numerous concerns” raised during the public comment period, including potential conflicts with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and broader federal law.

  • The administration has emphasized its intent to dismantle or sharply downsize the CFPB, initially proposing to eliminate the agency outright. Courts are still reviewing the legality of mass staff firings.

🧾 Additional Rollbacks

In recent weeks, the CFPB has:

  • Withdrawn dozens of policy and guidance documents dating back to 2011.

  • Paused efforts to regulate fine-print clauses often used to shield companies from liability.

  • Halted development of oversight for emerging fintech and crypto platforms.

🧭 Implications and Outlook

The rollback:

  • Signals a dramatic regulatory reversal in the consumer finance space

  • Raises new concerns over the commercial use of personal data amid rising cybercrime

  • May create legal ambiguity for data brokers, lenders, and fintech firms navigating a changing policy environment

While some tech and finance industry groups had pushed back on the Biden-era rules, citing compliance burdens and innovation risks, privacy watchdogs now fear the absence of federal safeguards will allow unchecked data harvesting and predatory digital financial practices to flourish.

CFPB Ends Supervision of Google Payment, Prompting Google to Drop Lawsuit

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The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has officially withdrawn its supervisory designation over Google Payment Corp, reversing a Biden-era initiative aimed at extending oversight to nonbank financial services provided by Big Tech companies.

The decision, first reported by Bloomberg News and confirmed by a Google spokesperson, ends months of legal conflict between the regulator and Alphabet’s financial unit. In response, Google will drop its lawsuit against the CFPB.

The CFPB initially announced in December 2024 that it would begin supervising Google Payment, claiming that the company’s financial services posed risks to consumers. Google promptly challenged the move in court, arguing that the claims were based on a discontinued peer-to-peer (P2P) payment product and a small number of unsubstantiated complaints.

Russell Vought, acting director of the CFPB under the Trump administration, defended the reversal in a May 7 memo, calling the supervision “an unwarranted use of the Bureau’s powers and resources.”

Google spokesperson José Castañeda welcomed the decision, stating:

“It didn’t make sense for the CFPB to supervise a product that never posed any risks and is no longer available in the U.S. We appreciate their common-sense decision to drop this issue.”

Google discontinued its U.S. version of the Google Pay P2P service in June 2024, citing business reasons, well before the CFPB’s supervisory action was announced.

Under the Biden administration, the CFPB had expanded its focus to include tech-driven financial platforms, citing the growing role of companies like Apple, Google, and PayPal in managing consumer transactions outside traditional banking.

The end of the supervision marks a significant policy shift under the Trump administration, reflecting a broader rollback of regulatory scrutiny over nonbank fintech services.

Secret Recording Reveals Trump Ally’s Preparations for Second Term, Religious Nationalism, and Immigration Plans

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A hidden-camera video has emerged showing Russell Vought, a prominent figure within the MAGA movement and co-author of Project 2025, candidly discussing his covert efforts to prepare for a potential second term for former President Donald Trump. Vought, who previously served as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump, is seen in the video revealing extensive behind-the-scenes work aimed at creating “shadow” agencies and drafting hundreds of executive orders and regulations that could be swiftly implemented if Trump returns to office.

The video, secretly recorded by employees of a British journalism nonprofit, the Centre for Climate Reporting, sheds light on the extreme measures Vought and his team are taking to ensure that Trump’s policies can be enacted without delay. Vought describes his work as focusing on consolidating presidential power, particularly in areas such as immigration, where he plans for mass deportations, which he claims could help “save the country.”

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Vought’s comments also delve into his views on the cultural direction of the United States, criticizing the Republican Party for focusing too much on “religious liberty” instead of promoting what he calls “Christian nation-ism.” He suggests that conservatives should advocate for policies that prioritize Christian immigrants and challenge the construction of mosques, pushing the boundaries of First Amendment protections.

The Centre for Climate Reporting, which used deceptive tactics such as creating fake websites and LinkedIn profiles to gain Vought’s trust, defended its approach, citing public interest in exposing Vought’s private discussions. The video is part of a broader trend of using secret recordings to uncover the true intentions of political figures, a method that, while controversial, has become more common on the fringes of both US and UK media.

Vought’s work with the Center for Renewing America and his involvement in Project 2025 reflect his deep commitment to shaping the next phase of the MAGA movement. His remarks in the video offer a rare glimpse into the strategies and ideologies driving those preparing for a potential second Trump administration, from restructuring federal agencies to enforcing culturally conservative policies.