Massachusetts lawmakers have approved legislation that would strengthen consumer privacy protections and prohibit companies from selling users’ precise location data.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed the Consumer Data Privacy Act in a 146-0 vote on Thursday. The move follows a September vote in which all 40 members of the state Senate backed their own version of the legislation.
The two bills will now be reconciled in the Senate before being sent to the governor, who is expected to sign the measure into law.
It was not immediately clear when that process would be completed.
New rights for consumers
The bill would grant Massachusetts residents greater control over their personal information, including the ability to access and delete data held by companies.
It would apply to businesses that process or handle the personal data of more than 100,000 consumers, affecting both large technology companies and medium-sized startups.
Restrictions on sensitive data
Under the legislation, companies would be barred from sharing or selling sensitive information without explicit user consent.
The protections cover:
- Precise geolocation data.
- Biometric information.
- Health data.
- Genetic information.
- Fingerprints.
- Religious beliefs.
- Immigration status.
- Sexual orientation.
Location data sale targeted
The collection and resale of location data has been a longstanding issue in privacy debates.
Data brokers often obtain location information from app developers and sell it to customers that can include:
- Governments.
- Militaries.
- Private companies.
- Criminal actors such as stalkers.
Federal authorities have previously argued that purchasing commercially available data does not require a warrant.
Efforts by the Biden administration to restrict sales of sensitive data at the national level were later abandoned by the Trump administration.
Broad impact expected
Because the bill applies to both Massachusetts residents and visitors, it would effectively ban the sale of location data throughout the state.
The measure is expected to affect:
- Startups that collect and sell location information.
- Advertising companies that use location data for targeted ads.
- Large technology platforms.
Bipartisan backing
According to WBUR and the Lynn Journal, lawmakers from both parties supported the legislation, arguing that privacy is a fundamental right.
Privacy organizations welcomed the vote.
Evan Greer, director of advocacy group Fight for the Future, said the bill represented “a major step toward cracking down on Big Tech’s surveillance abuses.”
The American Civil Liberties Union said the legislation would position Massachusetts as a leader in protecting privacy and limiting digital surveillance.
TL;DR:
Massachusetts lawmakers have approved a privacy bill that would give consumers more control over their data and ban the sale of precise location information. The measure now heads toward final approval and is expected to be signed into law.
AI summary:
- Massachusetts lawmakers approved the Consumer Data Privacy Act.
- The bill bans the sale of precise location data.
- Companies would need consent to share sensitive information.
- The law would apply to firms handling data from more than 100,000 consumers.
- Privacy groups praised the legislation.
