Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association has submitted written comments on S. 148/ H.357 and S. 184/H.386, two pieces of legislation related to health data privacy and geolocation being considered by the Massachusetts Legislature.
CCIA raised concerns about several of the broad definitions utilized in the bills, such as “location information” and “consumer health data”, which could ultimately end up encompassing consumer actions far beyond the intended scope of the bills, likely leading to consent fatigue. CCIA also asked for sufficient time for businesses to comply with proposed regulations, and urged the Legislature to place sole enforcement authority with the Attorney General’s office.
CCIA supports a comprehensive federal privacy law and understands that state lawmakers are acting to protect residents in their states and provide businesses regulatory clarity in its absence, particularly when it comes to sensitive data such as health or geolocation information.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Director of State Policy Khara Boender:
“We appreciate the opportunity to request clarity and suggest definitions that are more aligned with existing frameworks so businesses and consumers have more certainty around online privacy. We are asking Massachusetts to follow similar implementation timetables to give businesses time to comply with the law.”