BOSTON – The Massachusetts House of Representatives today voted unanimously to pass the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act. This major legislation would establish strong, enforceable protections against the abuse, misuse, and exploitation of extremely sensitive personal information collected every day by massive technology companies.
The bill includes several important measures, including a total ban on the sale of cellphone location data. This practice exposes virtually everyone to grave safety risks and is especially harmful to vulnerable populations including domestic violence survivors, immigrants, protestors, and patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.
The bill also includes a private right of action that would ensure injured parties can sue the largest corporations for violations of their privacy.
A broad coalition of labor, reproductive freedom, civil rights, and civil liberties advocates hailed the new legislation as a giant step forward for the privacy and personal safety of all Bay Staters, especially those most vulnerable to harassment and threats from malicious actors. The coalition previously celebrated the Senate’s passage of strong data privacy legislation last September.
The ACLU of Massachusetts, Reproductive Equity Now, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, Jewish Alliance for Law & Social Action (JALSA), Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Consumer Reports issued the following statements in response:
Carol Rose, executive director at the ACLU of Massachusetts: “For too long, data brokers and Big Tech have been able to gather our most personal information — including our precise location — and sell it to anyone with a credit card. This landmark bill puts a stop to those abuses. It positions Massachusetts as a leader in protecting personal privacy and curbing digital surveillance. Strong, enforceable privacy law is also a critical firewall for our democracy. It’s so important for Massachusetts residents to know they can attend protests and speak freely without risk that their location data will be sold. We applaud the House for its vote, thank Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, Majority Leader Moran, and Chair Farley-Bouvier for their leadership, and urge swift action in conference committee with the Senate to bring the strongest possible bill to the Governor’s desk.”
Claire Teylouni, interim co-executive director of Reproductive Equity Now: “We are deeply grateful to see that the House has taken decisive action to protect Bay Staters’ data privacy. We are especially excited to see that the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act includes crucial provisions prohibiting the sale of cellphone location information. With violence and surveillance targeting abortion providers and patients on the rise since Dobbs, these protections for our location data will be crucial to ensuring that Massachusetts remains a beacon for abortion access for all people. We want to thank Speaker Mariano and Chair Michlewitz, Chair Farley-Bouvier and Rep. Lipper-Garabedian for shepherding this bill forward and for their staunch advocacy for data privacy.”
Dominique Lee, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts: “People providing or seeking legally protected health care in Massachusetts should never have to fear that their movements will be tracked and that data sold to folks that aim to harm or criminalize them because of that care. We applaud House leaders and the many lawmakers and thought partners whose input led to the passage of this urgent and critical legislation. Health care providers, patients, and all people in the commonwealth deserve the safety and security this bill offers against corporations that buy and sell our data.”
Chrissy Lynch, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO: “People expect privacy protections at home and at work. We applaud the House’s leadership in moving strong data privacy legislation forward that protects sensitive data including union membership and rejecting Big Tech’s business model that puts our personal information up for sale. We will continue to advocate for workplace protections around employer misuse of employee data and continued collective bargaining on the impact of new technology and services on workers.”
Cindy Rowe, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA): “I commend the House for passing this landmark data privacy bill, a vital piece of legislation that not only advances consumer protection but also public safety. Hate crimes are on the rise — and, until this bill is signed into law, dangerous people who seek to perpetrate hate crimes in Massachusetts could readily purchase our personal location data from unregulated data brokers. Addressing this gap in public safety via the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act can prevent tragedy. I thank our legislative leaders for working toward a safer Massachusetts.”
Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center: "Every day, companies profit from collecting more information about us than they need and using it in ways we don’t expect. This bill changes that. It establishes meaningful rules for how much data companies can collect and how they can use it. EPIC thanks the members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for their leadership on this bill.”
Matt Schwartz, senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports: “For too long, massive tech companies have freely collected consumer data without meaningful restrictions. This bill resets that power imbalance, giving consumers real control over their personal information. By protecting consumers by default rather than forcing them through endless consent screens and by banning the selling of precise geolocation data, this legislation sets an important standard that other states should follow. At a time when sophisticated algorithms and emerging AI tools routinely utilize personal data in ways consumers can neither easily track nor control, we urge the full the full legislature to get a strong consensus bill to the Governor without delay.”
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