Gates wants new privacy law

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates asked the U.S. Congress to pass a comprehensive privacy law this year, allowing consumers to control how their personal information is used.

Gates repeated past Microsoft calls for a wide-ranging privacy law during a speech at advocacy group the Center for Democracy and Technology’s (CDT) annual gala dinner Wednesday. A comprehensive privacy law should allow consumers to control their personal data, provide transparency about what their data is used for, and require they be notified when their data has been compromised, Gates said.

Gates said he believes the United States can achieve a balance between privacy and protecting the country against terrorists and other criminals. But the balance will not be an easy one to create, he said.

While many U.S. residents would say they want as much privacy "as possible," law enforcement needs to be able to track criminals, Gates said. "These privacy issues are not as easy as you might think," he told the crowd