Speak Up for Real Privacy in Virginia

The Virginia legislature, with help from Microsoft and Amazon, has now passed a so-called privacy bill, the Consumer Data Protection Act (SB 1392, House companion HB 2307), that would do next to nothing to protect your privacy rights. Now it's up to Governor Northam to stand up for consumers and protect their privacy. 

While privacy protections in California and Europe have increased with the passage of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the GDPR, Virginia's "CDPA" would not bring Virginians that same level of protection, which should be a baseline for privacy rights in the modern age.

Instead, the CDPA would allow companies to force consumers to pay for privacy, by allowing companies to charge more or offer less to those who try to protect themselves. It would force consumers to opt-out of data collection rather than giving them the ability to decide if they want a company to collect their private information. And if your privacy rights are violated, this law would restrict your right to take legal action, leaving it up to the Attorney General.

The Consumer Data Protection Act moves us in the wrong direction. Virginia has a chance to take a stand against Big Tech companies like Amazon who want to have control over privacy. Consumer advocacy groups like Consumer Reports, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, and EFF have insisted the legislature alter this bill. But so far, your representatives are mostly listening to the companies that will benefit from this weak privacy legislation, such as Microsoft and Amazon.

Gov. Northam needs to hear from you. Write now to tell him to veto SB 1392 and HB 2307 and support privacy laws that protects your interests, not Big Tech’s.