By James Maroney
State Sen., D-14
James Maroney
Have you ever stopped to think about how much personal data you share every day?
Think of your cell phone. If you are using a mapping application, your phone has data stored on where you are visiting, how fast you are traveling and how long you stay at certain points. What other personal information are you voluntarily sharing on social media? Have you ever paused to think how your personal data can be used and who may be sharing it?
According to the Internet Society and Consumers International, 69 percent of consumers are concerned about how personal data is collected in mobile apps, such as banking or health apps, while 62 percent of consumers are concerned about personal data collected through tablets and computers.
This session I am working on consumer privacy legislation that will foster consumer trust by clearly delineating consumers’ rights regarding their personal data. It is said that data is the new gold, and in the era of big data many consumers are unaware how their own data are being collected and how others may be profiting from their data.
The legislation I am working on is Senate Bill 893, An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy, which essentially creates a consumer data bill of rights. If this bill is passed, covered companies must clearly list a privacy policy informing consumers what data is being collected and how it is being used. It gives consumers the right to know what information is being collected, the right to see and correct any data that has been collected, and the right to have any collected data be deleted. In addition, it prohibits companies from charging a different price or discriminating against a consumer who exercises these rights.
Furthermore, the bill requires companies to minimize the amount of data they cover and think about data security. It makes sure that companies take care of your data and only use it for the purposes they collected it for. This is critical, as we regularly hear of data breaches and identity theft, so it is critical that data is protected.
These new additions to data privacy allow a more trusted platform for consumers. The information policies companies would have to list allows for transparency and allows a consumer to know exactly what is happening with their personal information when they log in online. As the digital environment grows, it’s time to grow a secure and trusted market for consumers in the online world.