WCVB | Massachusetts lawmakers eye cracking down on personal data security
BOSTON — Some Beacon Hill lawmakers are trying to push forward multiple pieces of legislation aimed at locking down your personal information and privacy.
“I think people would be shocked if they knew how much their information was being tracked, how much they're being followed,” said Sen. Barry Finegold.
Feingold crafted a bill to address what many consumers face.
“When I was just looking for cleats for my son who plays football, all of a sudden, for the next week, I was getting the advertisements every time I went to every different website,” Feingold said.
At the State House on Thursday, there were two public hearings on several bills that tackle the same issue: your digital privacy.
“Sensitive data is being shared: your height, your weight, your sexual orientation, things about your family,” said Rep. Dan Carey.
Several lawmakers testified about proposed regulations to give consumers more control over their information or limit what companies can collect.
And it's not just about advertising. Claire Teylouni, with Reproductive Equity Now, said those traveling to Massachusetts for abortions could be at risk.
“With so much of our lives lived online, we can't be fully protected until our digital privacy is also protected,” she said.
Some tech company leaders expressed concern about a patchwork of regulations.
“Compliance with any data privacy regime, regardless of how well drafted, is expensive. But building a custom compliance infrastructure to account for provisions that are out of step with the rest of the nation is exponentially more so,” said Christopher Gilrein of Technet.
Thirteen other states have passed similar legislation.