Google's nearly $1.4 billion settlement with Texas solidifies the state's status as an aggressive privacy enforcer, lawyers and consumer privacy advocates said Monday. Texas announced the settlement Friday in a case involving Google's allegedly unlawful tracking and collection of users' personal information, including geolocation and biometric data (see 2505090071).
Congress should pass a federal privacy law that grants the FTC exclusive enforcement authority and doesn’t include a private right of action, Free State Foundation’s Andrew Long said Friday.
A data breach bill containing a private right of action split the Pennsylvania House Commerce Committee by political party at a livestreamed hearing Tuesday. The panel voted 14-12 to clear an amended HB-997, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no.
A California Assembly committee cleared a surveillance pricing bill Tuesday that would prohibit companies from using personal data to set customized prices for consumers.
Maine should follow “where the puck’s going” on comprehensive privacy laws in the states, said the legislature's joint Judiciary Committee House Chair Amy Kuhn (D) during the panel's hearing Monday. That means adopting a bill, like Kuhn’s LD-1822, based on data minimization rather than notice and consent, she said. However, two alternative Maine privacy bills would follow the approach included in state privacy laws prior to Maryland’s comprehensive law.
Lobbying numbers show the tech industry backed up its public support for the Take It Down Act with Q1 2025 spending focused in part on the deepfake porn bill.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed a bill (SB-126) Monday that clarifies and delays the state’s laws protecting the privacy of judges and law enforcement.
Louisiana lawmakers lambasted videogame industry opposition Monday to a bill creating a duty of care for online platforms with minor users. At a livestreamed hearing, the state’s House Civil Law Committee voted unanimously by voice to clear HB-37 with amendments. At a separate hearing, the House Commerce Committee decided to wait for a week to vote on an app store age-verification bill (HB-570) to allow for more negotiation with tech companies.
Expect movement shortly on three Vermont privacy bills, including a comprehensive privacy measure, state Rep. Monique Priestley (D) said in an interview at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit in Washington earlier this week. Priestley will continue tweaking the legislation based on feedback, including a change covering more businesses in her kids code bill.
House Commerce Committee Republicans are “committed to moving” a federal privacy bill “this Congress,” a committee staffer said at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit on Thursday.