What a New Senate Bill Means for Your Privacy with AI Assistants

If you use ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Amazon Alexa, or any other AI assistant, you’re already handing over data. What gets collected, how it’s stored, and who gets to see it are not always clear. A recent draft bill from a US senator aims to change that by setting new privacy and safety rules specifically for AI agents.

Here’s what the proposal would do, why it matters for your everyday use of these tools, and what steps you can take right now to protect your data.

What happened

On July 2, 2026, a US senator introduced a draft bill targeting the privacy and safety of AI agents. According to a report from Biometric Update, the bill would require AI agent providers to obtain explicit user consent before collecting personal data, minimize the data they collect, and conduct regular safety audits. The legislation is still in draft form and will need to go through committee markup and floor votes before becoming law, but it signals a growing regulatory interest in the AI tools millions of people use daily.

The bill defines “AI agent” broadly, likely covering chatbots, voice assistants, and automated decision‑making systems that can act on a user’s behalf. The exact language of the draft has not been published in full, but early summaries point to consumer‑facing rules that would make it harder for companies to hoard data or use it without clear permission.

Why it matters for your data

Right now, most AI assistants operate on a “collect first, ask later” model. When you ask a chatbot a question or tell your smart speaker to set a reminder, that interaction is typically logged, often stored on company servers, and sometimes used to train future models. The privacy policies of major providers are long and confusing, and the consent you give is often buried in a terms‑of‑service agreement you clicked without reading.

The proposed bill would change that by requiring upfront, specific consent for each type of data collection. It would also push companies toward data minimization—only collecting what’s strictly necessary for the feature you’re using. Safety audits could force companies to publicly report how they handle your conversations and what protections are in place against unauthorised access or misuse.

If the bill passes, you would gain more transparency and more control. But legislative processes are slow, and there’s no guarantee the bill will survive in its current form. In the meantime, your data is still being collected under the old rules.

What you can do right now

You don’t have to wait for a law to take effect. Here are concrete steps you can take today to limit how much data AI assistants can collect:

  • Review and adjust consent settings. Open the privacy settings of your AI assistant (ChatGPT, Copilot, Alexa, Google Assistant). Look for options to turn off conversation history, model training, or data sharing. Many services have a toggle to stop using your chats for training.
  • Delete past interactions. Most platforms let you bulk delete your conversation history. Doing this regularly prevents a large backlog of personal data from sitting on servers.
  • Use anonymized or temporary accounts. For chatbots like ChatGPT, consider using a separate account with minimal personal information. Some services also offer guest mode or incognito sessions—use them when possible.
  • Turn off voice recording storage. Smart speakers often store recordings of your voice commands by default. Go into your device’s privacy hub and set recordings to auto‑delete after a short period.
  • Limit third‑party integrations. Many AI assistants connect to other apps and services. Each connection can increase data exposure. Review and remove any integrations you no longer need or trust.
  • Keep an eye on policy updates. Companies may change their privacy policies in response to the bill’s momentum. Subscribe to simplified privacy‑update newsletters or set a calendar reminder to review policies quarterly.

What to watch for

The draft bill will likely undergo revisions, and its progress will depend on committee support and public comment. If you want to stay informed, follow the official congressional record or reliable privacy‑focused outlets. Meanwhile, if you see platforms rolling out new consent pop‑ups or data management tools, that’s a sign they are preparing for more regulation—and a good time to make your choices explicit.

The bill is not a silver bullet, but it is a step toward giving users clearer rights. The best protection, for now, is the one you set yourself.

Sources: Biometric Update, “US Senator’s draft legislation targets privacy, safety of AI agents,” July 2, 2026.