Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association will testify today before the Connecticut Joint Committee on General Law on SB 4, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy,” and SB 5, “An Act Concerning Online Safety.”
On SB 4, CCIA supports the goal of strengthening consumer privacy protections. The association will recommend targeted amendments to ensure the bill does not create conflicting regulatory requirements or place Connecticut businesses at a competitive disadvantage. CCIA will suggest narrowing the bill’s data broker definition and refining provisions related to personalized algorithmic pricing to focus on instances where consumers are charged higher prices while preserving legitimate promotions, discounts, and loyalty programs.
CCIA will oppose SB 5, warning that the bill’s broad and vague definitions could sweep in a wide range of common digital tools, including customer service chat functions, productivity software, and safety technologies, while creating significant compliance uncertainty for businesses. CCIA also raises concerns that SB 5 could effectively force companies to implement age verification systems in order to demonstrate compliance. These systems often require collecting additional sensitive personal information and could create new privacy and security risks for users. The association will also note that prescriptive state-level AI requirements could quickly become outdated and contribute to a fragmented regulatory environment for digital services operating across state lines.
The following statement can be attributed to Kyle Sepe, State Policy Manager, Northeast Region at CCIA, who will testify before the Joint Committee on General Law:
“Connecticut lawmakers are right to focus on online safety and consumer privacy, but SB 5 takes an overly broad approach that risks sweeping in common digital services while creating new privacy concerns through potential age verification requirements. SB 4 moves in the right direction on consumer data protections, but it needs targeted fixes to ensure the law addresses real harms without creating conflicting obligations for businesses. With thoughtful adjustments, Connecticut can protect consumers, while maintaining a strong environment for innovation and digital services.”
