Virginia Updates Its Consumer Privacy Law to Include New Health and Reproductive Data Privacy Protections

Virginia Governor Youngkin signed a bill that amends the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to provide heightened protections for reproductive or sexual health information. The new law requires that entities obtain a person’s consent before collecting and sharing personal information related to reproductive or sexual health, including when derived from non-health related information. Critically, the law includes a private right of action to encourage compliance and ensure that Virginians can protect their rights in court. EPIC regularly files comments on proposed rules to protect the privacy of personal information and advocates for reproductive privacy and other health privacy protections. EPIC released a statement in 2022 opposing the Supreme Court’s rollback of the constitutional right to abortion and published an analysis of reproductive privacy after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.