Pennsylvania's House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill restricting companies' collection and use of personal data 139-62. The bill was authored by state Rep. Ed Nielson (D-174), who represents part of Philadelphia in the state House of Representatives.
House Bill 1201 would limit the amount of consumer data they collect and require some companies to keep consumers informed about their privacy rights, according to a news release from Nielson's office. It becomes. Mr Neilson said the bill was necessary in an “increasingly digital world”.
“Consumers have a right to know whether their data is being used for targeted advertising or sold to a third party,” Neilson said. “Every keystroke and mouse click is a way for companies to collect data, and most people don't even realize this is happening.”
He added, “Pennsylvania consumers don't want their personal data to be provided to companies they don't use or don't know about, especially if they have false information in the data collected. “That is if there is no easy way to fix it.”
If the bill is ultimately enacted, the state attorney general would have the authority to prosecute violations, the release states.
Neilson said Pennsylvania lags behind other states in protecting consumer privacy by limiting the data that businesses can collect and informing consumers of their privacy rights. . If passed, the law would go a long way toward making Pennsylvania “a state where people feel safe doing business online,” the release states.
Among local state legislators, Bob Freeman (D-136) and Gene McNeil (D-133) voted in favor of the bill. State Reps. Milou McKenzie (R-131) and Craig Staats (R-145) voted against it. A list of MPs who voted in favor of it is available online.
The text of the House bill can also be read online.
The bill now moves to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
This local news story was reported with the help of generative AI.