Virginia Government Ralph Northam (D) on Tuesday signed the Consumer Data Protection Act, making Virginia the second state in the U.S. to pass a comprehensive law on the protection of individuals.
The bill gives consumers the right to prevent their personal data from being processed for targeted advertising, and the right to confirm whether their data is being processed.
State Senator David Marsden (D), who introduced the bill, welcomed Northam’s signing.
“It’s a big step forward. By compiling this omnibus account, we take the lead in data privacy in the United States. “This omnibus bill is clear, concise and holds businesses accountable for protecting consumer data by providing protection to consumers,” Marsden said in a statement.
A Northam spokesman did not immediately return calls for comment.
The law will come into force in 2023 and applies to all businesses that control or process the proposal data of at least 100,000 consumers, more than 50 percent of the gross revenue from the sale of personal data or the personal information of at least 25,000 consumers process.
Virginia’s bill follows in the footsteps of a privacy bill that California passed in 2018. California expanded its law in November through a ballot.
Contrary to California’s bill, Virginia lacks a private right of action, which means that individuals are limited in their ability to sue, and that its application is largely left to the Attorney General.
Other states are also considering proposals for data privacy.
In Washington, lawmakers began a debate on a privacy bill similar to Virginia. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
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