Salem, Oregon – Today, the Oregon Legislature advanced a new privacy bill supported by Consumer Reports. If the bill is signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek, Oregon would become the 11th state, after California, Utah, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Montana, and Florida to extend baseline privacy rights to consumers, including the right to access, delete, and stop certain disclosures of their personal information. Most of the bill’s provisions go into effect on July 1, 2024.
The Oregon bill, SB 619, has key provisions missing from some other state laws that will make it more workable for consumers:
- It requires companies to honor browser privacy signals, such as the Global Privacy Control, so that consumers can opt out of data sales at all companies in a single step;
- The definition of personal information includes information linked to a device; and
- It prohibits the use of deceptive interfaces in obtaining consent.
“We commend Oregon lawmakers for taking the first step toward creating comprehensive protections that meaningfully address the privacy needs of their constituents,” said Matt Schwartz, policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “S.B. 619’s definitions of biometric, sensitive, and personal data make it an improvement over many similar state privacy bills. At the same time, we urge legislators to close loopholes and expand certain protections, especially relating to the bill’s enforcement provisions, in the coming session.”
Contact: Cyrus Rassool, cyrus.rassool@consumer.org