Consumers in Connecticut will be able to know when their personal information is being tracked and how it’s being used under a wide-ranging data privacy bill that’s headed to Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk.
The legislation, dubbed a “consumer bill of rights,” also allows people to access, correct, delete and obtain a copy of their personal data, as well as opt out from having their information used by marketers, retailers and others for various purposes such as targeted advertising.
The bipartisan bill easily cleared the House of Representatives on Thursday by a vote of 144-5, about a week after it passed the Senate unanimously.
“We live in a digital world and technology moves very fast,” said Rep. Mike D’Agostino, D-Hamden, co-chair of the General Assembly’s General Law Committee. “This is our effort to finally get ahead of the curve, at least when it comes to consumer data.”
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Connecticut joins Colorado, Utah, Virginia and California in passing such legislation, according to D’Agostino, who said Connecticut’s bill is the most “robust” and uses some of the best aspects of other states’ laws while including some additional provisions.
Lawmakers stressed how the legislation attempts to be fair to Connecticut businesses, recognizing they typically use outside vendors that might be collecting customers’ data.
The bill says they will not be held responsible for any violations made by those vendors unless they were aware of the actions in advance.
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The legislation applies to individuals and entities that do business in the state or produce products and services which target Connecticut residents and processed personal data of at least 100,000 consumers, among other provisions.
