Tech Daily Dose

Companies are tracking your every move, hackers are stealing your personal information, and online advertisers know what you had for lunch. Time for the government to step in, right?

Wrong, says Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Toomey questioned the need for sweeping national legislation to protect online privacy and prevent data breaches, at least immediately.

"I'm not sure we've considered the unintended consequences that would come from this legislation," he said.

And Toomey's reservations were backed up by Thomas Lenard, president of the Technology Policy Institute, who testified that there is not enough information to determine what kind of legislation is needed.

"Without substantially better data and analysis, there is no way of knowing with any confidence whether proposals currently under consideration will improve consumer welfare," Lenard told the committee.

For more on Wednesday's hearing and the debate over privacy legislation in Congress, visit our Tech page.