Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed the Consumer Data Protection Act on Tuesday, making Virginia the second U.S. state to pass a comprehensive data privacy law.
The bill will give consumers the right to stop processing their personal data for targeted advertising and the right to confirm whether their data is being processed.
State Sen. David Marsden (D), who introduced the bill, cheered Northam’s signing.
“It simply came to our notice then. By creating this omnibus bill, we are taking the lead in data confidentiality in the United States. This omnibus bill is clear, concise and holds companies accountable for protecting consumer data, providing consumer protection, ”Marsden said in a statement.
A Northam spokesman did not immediately respond to comments.
The law will enter into force in 2023 and applies to all companies that control or process the proposal data of at least 100,000 consumers, obtain gross revenues of over 50% from the sale of personal data or process the personal data of at least 25,000 consumers. .
Virginia’s bill follows in the footsteps of a privacy bill passed by California in 2018. California expanded its law in November by a vote.
Unlike the California bill, however, Virginia lacks a private right of action, which means that people are limited in their ability to sue, and enforcement is largely left to the state attorney general. .
Other states are also considering proposals for data confidentiality.
In Washington, lawmakers resumed a debate on a privacy bill similar to that of Virginia. The Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo
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