A coalition of 34 consumer advocacy organizations has sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging swift passage of a comprehensive federal data privacy law, citing the growing confusion created by a patchwork of differing state regulations. With 19 states now having enacted their own consumer data privacy statutes, businesses and consumers alike face an increasingly complex and inconsistent regulatory landscape.
The coalition's letter highlights cases where consumers in neighboring states have vastly different rights regarding their personal data. A resident of California can request deletion of their data and opt out of its sale, while a resident of neighboring Nevada has more limited protections. The inconsistency extends to enforcement, with some states empowering their attorneys general to act while others rely primarily on private litigation.
Technology industry representatives have also expressed support for a federal standard, though they favor a law that would preempt stronger state regulations, a position consumer groups firmly oppose. The American Data Privacy Protection Act, which has been reintroduced in the current Congress, attempts to thread the needle by establishing a strong federal baseline while preserving state authority to enforce the federal standard and maintain existing state laws that provide greater protection in specific areas. Committee markup is expected in May.
