Pelosi tasks Khanna with effort to create 'Internet Bill of Rights'

It makes sense the congressional district that essentially created the Internet should lead the legislative effort to create a more equatable platform and protect the privacy of its users. That's why House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has tasked Rep. Ro Khanna to lead the effort.

The assignment is a significant appointment for the first-term Khanna, who represents Fremont and Silicon Valley in Congress.

Khanna has long aspired to rise the profile of his tech-heavy district in Washington. But exactly what an "Internet Bill of Rights" might look like is still in the early stages.

Khanna suggested to Newsweek a draft bill might include protections for users to control the data they create on platforms like Facebook and Amazon.

But Khanna also hinted at a carrot-and-stick approach, using potential legislation to encourage Silicon Valley tech giants to regulate themselves rather than feel the full force of congressional legislation.

"You can't be an island of success," he told Newsweek, referring to his district "We have to answer the nation's call." If Silicon Valley can answer that call with "humility," Khanna says, the tech behemoths can avoid the kind of onerous regulation other liberal legislators are calling for, such as the General Data Protection Regulation that will go into effect in Europe in 2018."