States Leapfrog California on Privacy Law: California Brief

States’ Privacy Laws Leapfrog California

Rob Bonta has fined General Motors for sharing private location and driving information

Photographer: Jason Henry/Bloomberg

States such as Maryland and Connecticut have leapfrogged California on data protection, enacting stronger consumer protections and stricter business requirements, Cassandre Coyer reports.

Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia, and Oregon banned sales of precise geolocation data. Connecticut and Maryland also prohibited businesses’ use of consumers’ personal data to set personalized prices, and New York is aiming to join them. A closely watched bill in Massachusetts would allow consumers to bring individual lawsuits against companies—something no other state has done for a comprehensive privacy law.

The legislative action has changed how companies deal with state laws. After ...