A Texas bill covering smart devices aims to show “people in real-time on their personal devices what data is being collected and by whom and also gives them the ability to stop the data collection,” state Sen. Bryan Hughes (R) said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Consumer advocates want to build a coalition behind a model state privacy bill that adds protections beyond current state laws, said Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Consumer Reports (CR) officials in a Monday column in TechPolicy.press. The groups’ model, unveiled in September, is based on Connecticut's law, with additions including a private right of action, tightened data minimization requirements and increased protections for children and sensitive data. “EPIC and Consumer Reports hope to use the model bill to build on last session’s momentum and support lawmakers seeking strong privacy protections for their constituents,” wrote EPIC Deputy Director Caitriona Fitzgerald and CR Policy Analyst Matt Schwartz. “We are actively seeking new partners to join our coalition -- both organizations and constituents fed up with the status quo.” A forthcoming Washington state privacy bill will be based on the EPIC/CR model (see 2412300043).
Passing an anti-TikTok bill with a private right of action will be a priority for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares this legislative session, the Republican said Tuesday. Miyares supported a yet-to-be-numbered bill by Del. Jay Leftwich (R). The AG office said the bill would establish “a private cause of action for parents against TikTok’s deceptive practices and addresses concerns related to data privacy, child exploitation, and security threats.” Leftwich and TikTok didn’t comment.
An early January surge of kids’ bills requiring age verification and parental consent continued this week, with legislation surfacing in Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, similar bills have appeared in South Dakota and Wyoming (see 2501060008).
A New York bill prefiled for 2025 would require disclosure of state agencies’ use of automated employment decision-making tools. A-433 would require agencies to annually publish a list of the tools, including descriptions of each, when the agency started using it, and a summary of its purpose. Also, the state’s IT office would have to maintain an inventory of AI systems used by agencies.
State legislators in multiple states have revealed plans to open sessions with bills requiring age-verification.
Privacy attorneys flagged changes to complying with New York’s data breach law in 2025. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last month signed two bills amending New York’s data breach law.