Neilson bill to protect consumer privacy passes House
Rep. Ed Neilson March 19, 2024 | 4:14 PM
Legislation authored by state Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., to enhance consumer privacy and limit the collection of consumer data was voted out of the House today.
House Bill 1201 would inform consumers of their rights when it comes to personal data and require certain businesses to protect them by limiting the amount of data collected.
“In an increasingly all-digital world, consumers deserve to know if their data is used for targeted advertising or if it’s sold to a third party,” Neilson said. “Every keystroke or mouse click is a way for companies to collect data, and most people don’t even realize this is happening.”
“Consumers in Pennsylvania don’t want companies that they don’t even use or know about to have their personal data, especially if there isn’t an easy way to fix incorrect information in the data collected,” Neilson added.
He said that Pennsylvania is behind other states who already have laws that protect consumers’ privacy, and this legislation would go a long way to make Pennsylvania a state where people can feel safe doing business online.
Neilson said that the Attorney General would have exclusive authority to prosecute violations under the legislation should HB 1201 be signed into law.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.