States have good ideas about AI regulation that the federal government shouldn’t try to block, said two state officials and a U.S. Senate Democratic staffer during a Federal Communications Bar Association panel Tuesday. In a separate session, however, telecom industry officials suggested that a “patchwork” of state AI requirements could be more difficult for businesses than dealing with today’s array of state privacy laws.
OpenAI and Common Sense Media will team up rather than fight on a ballot initiative about kids privacy and their safety using chatbots, the AI company and children’s advocacy group said during a virtual press conference Friday. The California legislature will pursue a similar package this session that could make it unnecessary to have a vote on the joint initiative at this November’s election, said Common Sense CEO Jim Steyer.
A proposed private right of action will be removed from a New Hampshire age-verification bill that seeks to restrict children’s access to porn, said its sponsor, Sen. Tara Reardon (D), at a livestreamed state Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. Reardon said her planned amendment to SB-648 would also allow companies to assert rights under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
The California Privacy Protection Agency challenged a company’s claim that it didn't engage in data broker activity in the state, and then made it cease that activity through a settlement under the Delete Act, according to a decision released Thursday. In addition, CalPrivacy raised concerns about the sensitive nature of data bought and resold by Datamasters, the company in question. Datamasters' and S&P Global's failures to register as data brokers led to more than $100,000 in fines combined (see 2601080008).
Consumer advocates and civil rights groups rallied behind three privacy bills by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D) of California at a Tuesday press conference.
Washington state Rep. Shelley Kloba (D) has grown more open to compromise on her comprehensive privacy bill as she’s watched other states enact a law and then strengthen it through amendment bills in subsequent years, she told Privacy Daily. Kloba said that includes a willingness to negotiate on the private right of action (PRA), a provision of her bill that received much pushback from industry and Republicans last year (see 2503030046 and 2502140048).
Privacy professionals begin the new year considering significant changes to some state privacy requirements. Lawyers suggested resolutions to review data and get an early start on risk assessments.
All 20 U.S. comprehensive privacy laws will be in effect Jan. 1 when Kentucky, Indiana and Rhode Island join 17 other states with broad privacy statutes. However, those three new state laws coming online are unlikely to significantly reshape the U.S. consumer privacy landscape, privacy experts said in interviews with Privacy Daily.
A slew of comprehensive privacy law bills from 2025 are expected to return in the new year. While no new states joined about 20 others with broad consumer privacy laws this year, 16 additional states had bills that either will carry over to 2026 or could be reintroduced.
Efforts continue to pass a New Mexico comprehensive privacy bill that includes a private right of action, but logistical issues in the legislature could prevent the measure from getting a hearing in 2026, supporters said.