Google and Facebook are actively trying to stop a proposed law that would force them to acquire consent from users before collecting their personal information.

The “Browser Act,” introduced May 18 by Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, mandates that people must explicitly give permission to internet service providers (ISPs) and websites wanting to use their browsing history and other data for business purposes.

“I think it is necessary to get our consumers the strongest toolbox possible to allow them to control their virtual presence,” Blackburn told The Daily Caller News Foundation (TheDCNF) in an interview. “Individuals in the physical world have the opportunity to hold personal information private and they should have that same opportunity in the virtual space.”

The legislation’s primary focus is sectored into two categories. User information considered sensitive would be subjected to an opt-in approval system, meaning the data would only be permitted for company use if the person gives clear approval. In contrast, user information deemed non-sensitive would be subjected to an opt-out approval system in which data is automatically permitted for business operations unless notified otherwise.

Blackburn said she came up with this arrangement after talking with both members of the affected industry and consumers. (Read more from “Google, Facebook Are Super Upset They May No Longer Be Able to Sell Your Internet Data Without Permission” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.