Data Privacy ‘Panoply’ Looms as States Move to Fill Federal Hole

Consumers across the US could gain more control over how companies collect and use their personal information through state legislative efforts to create new data privacy requirements.

Broad privacy bills filed in eight states so far this year would, if enacted, add to laws in California, Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, and Colorado that aim to safeguard consumer data online.

The legislation is part of a growing push by state lawmakers to address a range of privacy issues—such as protecting biometric identifiers and health data—in the absence of a comprehensive federal law.

The growing number of comprehensive and increasingly specific privacy ...