Consumer Reports supports Oregon H.B. 2008, legislation that would ban the sale of precise geolocation data outright. Geolocation can be useful for pro-consumer applications such as turn-by-turn directions and finding a nearby restaurant; however, all too often this information is secretly collected and sold to dozens if not hundreds of data brokers and other third-parties with whom consumers have no relationship or even awareness. The legislation would also ban the sale of the personal data of children under 16. In doing so, the bill will provide straightforward, powerful, and critically important protections for the privacy, autonomy, and physical safety of Oregonians.
Some harms from the sale of precise geolocation information include:
- Scamming, stalking, and spying;
- Tracking of sensitive locations;
- Unfair pricing; and
- Enhanced risks of data breaches.
To read more, please see the attached PDF.