Oklahoma City, Oklahoma —Consumer Reports urges Governor Kevin Stitt to veto SB 546, a weak consumer data privacy bill that passed the Oklahoma Legislature today despite objections from consumer advocates.
The bill includes some basic consumer rights, such as the right to know the information companies have collected about them, the right to delete certain information, and the right to limit some data disclosures. However, those rights are undercut by weak definitions of key terms like “sale” and “targeted advertising”, no universal opt out or authorized agent provisions, and insufficient enforcement mechanisms. The bill also allows companies to discriminate against consumers who exercise their right to opt out by denying service or charging extra.
“Oklahoma is poised to enact a weak comprehensive privacy bill unless the governor takes action,” said Matt Schwartz, policy analyst at Consumer Reports. “This legislation ignores many of the improvements made by recent privacy laws, and instead opts for an outdated model matching that of some of the weakest laws in the nation. The bill includes definitions rife with loopholes, creates broad carveouts, and lacks universal opt-out controls. It should also include enforcement mechanisms that will actually incentivize companies to comply the first time around. We urge Governor Stitt to veto this bill in its current form.”
If the Governor signs SB 546 into law, Oklahoma will become the latest state to enact a comprehensive privacy law. Since the passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act in 2018, the number of comprehensive state privacy laws has grown to 19, though the strength of these laws varies in terms of consumer privacy protections.
Contact: cyrus.rassool@consumer.org