OLYMPIA – On Monday, January 23, Rep. Shelley Kloba (D-Kirkland) introduced House Bill 1616, known as the People’s Privacy Act, a consumer-focused bill to protect the data of Washingtonians. This bill recognizes a set of rights and establishes a remedy when those rights have been violated.
“With powerful tools and data analysis, companies have access to almost every aspect of our lives. They have access to everything that makes us who we are,” said Kloba. Many people are not aware of of this, or if they are, have developed a fatalistic attitude of acceptance of this distressing situation.
“This legislation shifts power back into the hands of consumers,” according to Kloba. It requires companies who collect and process your data to be transparent in letting you know what is collected and how it is used. It also prohibits companies from selling your personal data without your freely given, opt-in consent. It creates meaningful, people-centric digital privacy protections for Washington State.
“Because we spend so much of our time online, these privacy protections are an important tool to protect our civil rights and liberties. They protect what makes us who we are.”