In the rapidly evolving digital world, the question of data privacy is taking centre stage. In response, states across the United States have been formulating new laws geared towards protecting consumer’s personal information. At present, four states – California, Virginia, Colorado, and Connecticut – have comprehensive data privacy laws, while one state, Utah, has a legislation that comes into effect by the end of 2023. Eight more states are set to follow suit with similar statutes becoming active between July 1, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2026.
This wave of legislative action has yet to fully reach New Jersey, where comprehensive privacy legislation for its residents is still pending. At the forefront of these legislative conversations are the New Jersey Assembly Bill A505, or the “New Jersey Disclosure and Accountability Transparency Act” (NJ DaTA), and the New Jersey Senate Bill S332, which emphasizes online service providers’ responsibility to inform consumers about the collection and disclosure of personal information.
NJ DaTA, reintroduced in early 2022, aims to establish an Office of Data Protection and Responsible Use under the Division of Consumer Affairs. However, there has been no recorded movement on the NJ DaTA bill since it was introduced, hinting that progress might be at a standstill. By contrast, Senate Bill S332 seems to be making headway, having passed in the Senate in February 2023 and reported out of the Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee with amendments as recently as May 11, 2023.
These proposed privacy statutes, whether enacted or in-process, could significantly expand the scope of data protection, extend more rights to respective state residents and affect businesses’ operations within the states. Various versions of these privacy bills are circulating in the New Jersey Legislature, where they can potentially catalyze profound changes in the state’s data privacy landscape.
Readers can gain a detailed understanding of these legislative developments from a comparative approach to the data privacy legislation in New Jersey, provided by NJ Law Journal here.