EPIC Testifies Against Maryland Bill that Would Gut Data Minimization in Privacy Law

EPIC Law Fellow Kara Williams testified against a Maryland bill that would gut one of the most important provisions in the state’s data privacy law before it even goes into effect.

Last year, Maryland passed the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, a landmark comprehensive privacy bill that includes strong data minimization provisions, a ban on the sale of sensitive data, and heightened protections for minors.

This bill, H.B. 1365, would replace the current strong data minimization rule — which limits the personal data companies can collect to what is reasonably necessary to provide the product or service the consumer requested — with one that would allow companies to collect whatever data they want, for whatever purpose they want, as long as they list that purpose in their privacy policy.