EPIC Urges Virginia Governor to Sign Bill Banning Sale of Location Data

EPIC has sent a letter to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger urging her to sign S.B. 338, which bans the sale of precise geolocation data.

EPIC told the Governor that “[b]y banning the sale of precise geolocation data, S.B. 338 would put a stop to some of the most harmful abuses of our personal data happening today.” EPIC noted that the harms of the overcollection and widespread sale of precise geolocation data have also come to the forefront recently amid reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has purchased software that allows the agency to track millions of Americans via their cellphones. Bypassing Fourth Amendment protections, ICE has purchased access to a social media and phone surveillance product that allows the agency to monitor specific areas for mobile phones and track the movements of those devices (or their owners) over time.