Washington State Moves Again Towards New Privacy Laws

Similar to the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), the Washington State legislature is considering Senate Bill 6281 which, like the CCPA, would require companies whose business is strongly tied to the collection or sale of consumer data to both reveal the extent of the data they possess to any customer that requests it, and as well provide individuals the power to restrict how their data is used.

From GovTech.com:

“[…] SB 6281 would apply to entities conducting business in Washington that control or process data for at least 100,000 consumers. Businesses that get 50% or more of their gross revenue from the sale of personal data, and control or process information on 25,000 or more consumers, would also be subject to the regulations.

Those companies could range from behemoths like Facebook and Microsoft, to largely little-known data brokers and also retail stores.

If asked, those companies would have to say whether a requester’s data is being used, and provide that data. They also would have to correct inaccurate data if requested, and delete personal information under some circumstances, for example, if it were no longer necessary.

Individuals would not be able to bring lawsuits against companies for breaking the legislation, but the state Attorney General’s Office would be able to pursue violations under the state’s Consumer Privacy Act.”

The prime opposition against this version of the legislation comes from the inability of individuals to pursue litigation against companies that violate the law in regards to their personal data.

Additionally, two bills are being put forth to curtail the use of facial recognition technology due to privacy concerns: SB 5528 and SB 6280. All three bills are scheduled to be discussed by the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology later this month.

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