Connecticut Senate Democrats have revived a consumer data privacy bill. It failed to win approval in the General Assembly last year.
Websites and apps routinely collect personal data without a users’ knowledge, said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, who is a sponsor of the bill. Congress and the FCC have done little to stop this. That's why the state needs to take action, Duff said.
“In the absence of any federal legislation it's up to the states to do that. And today we are here to reaffirm our commitment to do that,” said Duff.
A similar bill last year died in the House after it passed in the Senate. But Duff said he is not deterred.
“We feel that by talking to our colleagues and helping educate them and really getting m additional folks on board that we will have more success this year,” he said.
The bill would allow consumers to know what personal information is collected, used, shared or sold by online businesses. It would also give consumers the right to delete personal information held by a business and direct them to stop selling the information.
Online businesses have lobbied against the bill. Such regulations should be done on a national level, and not state by state, they’ve argued.
