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Massachusetts votes to pass new privacy rights bill that bans sale of preciselocation data

Massachusetts lawmakers unanimously passed a Consumer Data Privacy Act, granting residents rights to access and delete personal data and banning the sale of precise location data. The bill, aimed at combating tech abuses, will affect companies handling data of over 100,000 consumers. This positions Massachusetts as a leader in enhancing consumer privacy rights in a fragmented U.S. landscape.

Key points

  • The Massachusetts House voted 146-0 to pass the Consumer Data Privacy Act.
  • The bill combines previous Senate and House versions and will be sent to the governor.
  • It grants residents rights to access and delete their data held by companies.
  • The law prohibits selling sensitive data, including precise location data, without user consent.
  • It targets companies processing data of more than 100,000 consumers, impacting both startups and tech giants.
  • The bill reflects a growing trend among U.S. states to establish their own privacy protections amidst inadequate federal laws.

Why it matters

  • The U.S. lacks a comprehensive national privacy law, unlike other democracies.
  • Previous federal attempts under the Biden administration to ban the sale of sensitive data failed.
  • The Massachusetts bill seeks to address long-standing privacy abuses in tech.
  • There is a wider trend of states enacting their own privacy laws to protect consumers, following Massachusetts' example.

The Consumer Data Privacy Act marks a significant advancement in consumer privacy rights in Massachusetts, setting a precedent for other states while highlighting the inadequacy of federal privacy regulations.