A new privacy strategy catches on in Washington

Lawmakers across the nation are increasingly looking to a new tool to protect people’s personal data online: A public repository of the companies collecting, selling and sharing people’s phone numbers, addresses, and shopping habits. Four states currently have laws on the books requiring so-called data brokers—the companies that collect and sell millions of people’s information—to register in a public database, serving as a directory for people to send data deletion requests and potential targets for enforcers. Connecticut became the latest state in May to pass such a law (though, it won’t take effect until 2027), and lawmakers in Washington are considering similar requirements in the Republican-backed SECURE Data Act and the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s bipartisan agreement on kids’ safety legislation. The registries have strong bipartisan support, meaning states are likely to continue adopting similar laws if Congress doesn’t. In Connecticut, the bill to update the state’s data privacy law to include a data broker registry passed overwhelmingly and cleared both chambers before being signed by the governor, said its co-sponsor, Sen. James Maroney (D-CT).