Concord Privacy News: 2/21/23

President Biden Highlights Data Privacy in State of the Union Speech

The momentum for tighter data privacy laws in the U.S. has reached new heights, as President Biden called for stronger privacy protections and tougher regulations of the tech industry during his State of the Union address this month. Biden specifically highlighted the need to pass bipartisan legislation to stop technology companies from collecting personal data on youth online and to impose stricter limits on the collection of personal data companies collect on everyone.

Time will tell if new legislation will be introduced at the federal level. While the American Data Privacy Protection Act gained bipartisan support last year, it did not pass in both congressional chambers. Some expect that U.S. Rep. Cathay McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wash.) will reintroduce the bill.

Absent federal legislation, there are still several states with legislation on the books. In addition to the California Privacy Rights Act (which took full effect Jan, 1), Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act also took effect Jan. 1, and the Colorado Privacy Act will take effect July 1, 2023. These acts all provide protections for the collection and use of personal data, and give consumers specific rights, including the right to access, control, and delete such data.

Other Privacy News of Note

GoodRx FTC Privacy Fine Is ‘Warning Shot’ for Health Tech Firms

The Federal Trade Commission’s $1.5 million fine against GoodRx Holdings Inc. signals a broader reckoning for a growing array of health tech services and devices that collect and use information about their users to monetize free products. Companies that collect potentially sensitive health data through products such as sleep monitors, fertility trackers, or diabetes devices should take a close look at how information flows through to advertisers or marketers, lawyers and former FTC officials said. Read more.

TikTok CEO to Testify Before US Congress Next Month Over Data Privacy

As the US legislative battle over TikTok continues to escalate, Shou Zi Chew, the chief executive of the video-sharing app, will make his first appearance before Congress to testify next month. Chew will testify before the House energy and commerce committee on 23 March, as scrutiny of the Chinese-owned app over data privacy concerns grows. Read more.