New York state legislators opened their 2025 session Wednesday, introducing comprehensive and healthcare-focused privacy bills, among other measures related to consumer data. Assemblymember Nily Rozic (D) offered the 2025 version of the New York Privacy Act. However, some of it is "not aligned with other comprehensive privacy laws,” which could make compliance a challenge for businesses, warned Hinshaw & Culbertson privacy attorney Cathy Mulrow-Peattie in an email 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 comprehensive New York bill to regulate AI surfaced ahead of the state’s legislative session that opens Wednesday. The Assembly referred A-768 by Assemblymember Alex Bores (D) to the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee.
Businesses must make incremental changes to comply with five state privacy laws effective this month, privacy experts said in interviews. Comprehensive laws took effect Jan. 1 in Delaware, Iowa, Nebraska and New Hampshire. A New Jersey law becomes effective Jan. 15, with that state’s attorney general office’s consumer affairs division soon expected to open a rulemaking.
State legislators in multiple states have revealed plans to open sessions with bills requiring age-verification.
New Republican leadership for the House and Senate Commerce committees could mean a full reset for federal privacy legislation in 2025. That’s according to interviews with incoming Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and incoming House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.
Vermont and Washington state will soon introduce comprehensive privacy bills, while Connecticut will have a bill that would add data minimization rules and make other changes to its 2022 law, legislators told Privacy Daily ahead of sessions starting this month. Also, legislators in Oklahoma and South Carolina prefiled bills last month for the 2025 legislative sessions. Additional privacy bills are expected this year in several other states, said privacy lawyers and consumer advocates in other interviews.