This week, Consumer Reports published a Model State Privacy Act. The Consumer advocacy organization proposed model legislation “to ensure that companies are required to honor consumers’ privacy.” The model legislation is similar to the California Consumer Privacy Act, but seeks to protect consumer privacy rights “by default.”  Some additional provisions of the model law include a broad prohibition on secondary data sharing, an opt-out of first-party advertising, and a private right of action in addition to enforcement by state Attorneys General.

While the introduction of a model privacy law is an interesting development, we also continue to track state privacy laws in multiple states right now, as several states have recently introduced consumer privacy legislation. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Minnesota, New York and Utah recently saw the introduction of new privacy legislation. As legislative sessions move forward into 2021, we expect even more states to follow suit.

Our list of pending state privacy legislation includes:

We will continue to provide updates as these bills move forward.

Photo of Deborah George Deborah George

Deborah George is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group as well as its Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Team. Ms. George advises clients on and focuses her practice on data privacy and security, cybersecurity, and compliance with related state and federal laws. She…

Deborah George is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group as well as its Data Privacy + Cybersecurity Team. Ms. George advises clients on and focuses her practice on data privacy and security, cybersecurity, and compliance with related state and federal laws. She also has experience providing counsel in civil litigation and employment law matters. She has significant experience offering advice and counsel on legal issues related to human services agencies, including Medicaid, as well as drafting and reviewing contracts, business associate agreements, and data use agreements. Read her full rc.com bio here.