Hartford, Conn. — Today, the Connecticut General Assembly advanced new privacy legislation supported by Consumer Reports. If the bill is approved by Governor Ned Lamont, Connecticut would become the fifth state, after California, Virginia, Colorado, and Utah, to extend baseline privacy rights to consumers, including the right to access, delete, and stop the sale of their personal information. CR worked with stakeholders for over a year to help shape the legislation. It is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2023.
The Connecticut bill, SB 6, has key provisions missing from some other state laws that will make it more workable for consumers:
- The bill 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;
- It prohibits the use of so-called “dark patterns” in obtaining consent to process sensitive information;
- The bill places a sunset on the “right to cure” in administrative enforcement, so that after January 1, 2025, companies will no longer have a “get out of jail free” card for failing to protect consumer privacy.
“We applaud Connecticut lawmakers for advancing meaningful privacy legislation that will help protect the personal information of their constituents,” said Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports. “Senator Maroney has worked tirelessly to craft privacy legislation that puts the interest of consumers first. We look forward to continuing to work with policymakers to uphold and expand these key protections.”
Connecticut was one of over twenty states that considered commercial privacy legislation this year. States including New York and Massachusetts are still considering active legislation.
Contact: Cyrus Rassool, cyrus.rassool@consumer.org