Concord Privacy News: 1/23/25
Nebraska Poised to Lead Nation in Agricultural Data Privacy Protection
In a groundbreaking move for agricultural data rights, Nebraska may become the first state to establish legal protections for farmer and rancher data privacy. A forthcoming bill aims to ensure that agricultural producers maintain ownership of their operational data and prevent its unauthorized sale to agricultural corporations.
The proposed legislation mirrors the recently enacted Consumer Data Privacy Act but specifically addresses the unique concerns of the agricultural sector. As farming becomes increasingly tech-driven, producers have expressed growing concerns about the security and control of their data when working with agricultural technology providers.
"Nebraska farmers and ranchers are increasingly concerned about the variety of new ag data products that are arriving on the market," explains Senator Jacobson. "They want to know what happens to their data once they provide it to ag tech providers. They have a lot of questions about how the data is used, if they can retrieve it and should they trust the providers?"
Leaders have thrown their support behind the initiative, emphasizing its importance for the state's economic future. "It's important we not only defend agriculture but go on the offensive," said Pillen. "The better agriculture does, the better our economy does. I'm eager to work with the legislature this year to lead the nation and protect and grow our agriculture industry."
This pioneering legislation would position Nebraska as a national leader in agricultural data protection, setting a precedent for other states to follow.
Other Privacy News of Note
In a First, EU Court Fines EU for Breaching Own Data Protection Law
In a first, the EU General Court ruled that the European Commission must pay damages to a German citizen for failing to comply with its own data protection regulations.The court determined that the Commission transferred the citizen's personal data to the United States without proper safeguards and ordered it to pay him 400 euros ($412) in damages.The individual had used the "Sign in with Facebook" option on the EU login webpage to register for a conference. The court, which hears actions taken against EU institutions, found that this transfer of the user's IP address to Meta Platforms in the U.S. violated EU data protection rules. Read more.
GDPR Fines Total €1.2bn in 2024
GDPR fines issued across Europe totaled €1.2bn ($1.26bn) in 2024, according to new figures published by law firm DLA Piper. These figures represent a 33% decrease in GDPR fines issued by European regulators compared to 2023, when €2.9bn ($3.1bn) in penalties were handed out. This is the first time a year-on-year fall in fines has been observed since the GDPR came into effect in May 2018. Read more.
