Oregon has passed a new, strong data privacy law. This law bans the sale of precise geolocation data. Oregon is now the second US state with such legislation. Maryland approved a similar bill last year. Maryland’s law is set to take effect in October. Both state bills also ban selling children’s data. Maryland’s protection covers children under 18. Oregon’s new law protects children under 16 years old. These state measures go further than federal COPPA. Oregon’s specific geolocation ban is quite stringent. It applies to data within a 1,750-foot radius. This bill significantly strengthens a 2023 privacy law.
The passage of Oregon’s law is significant. It could strongly influence other states to act. This opinion was shared by Matt Schwartz. He is a policy analyst at Consumer Reports. He stated it shows lawmakers are very serious. They are taking location privacy concerns to heart. Many people feel “creeped out” by location tracking. Lawmakers are actively responding to these public sentiments. Similar data privacy bills are currently being debated. Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont are considering them.
However, a comparable bill recently failed in California. This indicates that progress varies across different states.
Broader efforts for children’s online safety are also evident. The governor of Texas signed an important bill. This signing occurred on Tuesday of this week. He did so despite reported lobbying from Apple’s CEO. The new Texas bill mandates age verification. Apple and Google must verify app store customers’ ages. This requirement creates more regulatory hurdles for tech giants. About twenty states have considered similar laws. Utah became the first state to enact one. That happened in March. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton supports the bill. He said it gives tools to parents.
Consumer Reports has commended Oregon for this bill.
They called H.B. 2008 a landmark piece of legislation. If signed by the governor, it extends new protections. It bans the sale of precise geolocation data. It also prohibits selling personal data of children under 16. Matt Schwartz emphasized that location data is very personal. It can associate individuals with sensitive locations. These may include health facilities or places of worship. Preventing its commercial sale is crucial today. Minors’ personal data is inherently sensitive too. It should not be sold to any bidder. Oregon is urged to set a strong example.
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