Last Update: 06/03/2026 at 4:25 AM EST
State privacy laws tighten on sensitive data
Coverage from CommonWealth Beacon, JD Supra, and others
Articles
13
Latest Article
06/02
Active Days
106
Executive Summary
The cluster is primarily about active U.S. state privacy lawmaking in 2026. The dominant pattern is incremental but broadening state-level tightening around sensitive data categories, children’s data, geolocation, biometrics, consent defaults, and data broker obligations. Most items reflect bills advancing, being enacted, or being amended rather than enforcement actions or litigation.
Key Points
- State legislatures are the main venue for change in the cluster.
- The most common targets are sensitive data, geolocation, biometrics, children’s data, and data brokers.
- Consent and default-setting rules are becoming more restrictive.
- Several states have enacted or are close to enacting comprehensive consumer privacy laws.
- A recurring tension is between stronger privacy controls and business concerns about compliance and marketing limits.
Featured Article
In 2026, multiple US states advanced consumer privacy bills including Maine LD 1822, Maryland HB 711, New Hampshire HB 1460, and New Jersey A 3929.
Coverage Timeline: 106 Days
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Additional Articles
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Massachusetts lawmakers in October 2025 advanced a data privacy act in Massachusetts to limit data collection and empower enforcement.
Oklahoma and Alabama enacted new privacy laws in 2026 while Virginia, Kentucky, and California advanced restrictions on precise geolocation and sensitive data sharing.
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Maine’s LD 1822 consumer data privacy bill stalled in the House in 2026 while Kentucky HB 692 passed to add automatic content recognition as sensitive data.
Massachusetts debate over House social media limits for minors centers on privacy risks in age verification methods and impacts on LGBTQ youth at Beacon Hill.
Kay Ivey signed Alabama HB 351 in 2026 as Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Nebraska, and California also advanced consumer privacy law changes.
Connecticut SB 4 passed in 2026, expanding consumer data privacy and creating data broker registration, as California, Colorado, Delaware, and Louisiana advanced related privacy bills.
Colorado passed a 2026 age attestation privacy bill while Michigan advanced a Kids Code Act and California moved a consent-based privacy setting restriction toward third reading.
Maine Senate voted 18-14 in 2024 to revive LD 1822, proposing data minimization, biometric limits, and bans on selling and targeting children’s data.
Maine lawmakers consider LD 1822 Maine Online Data Privacy Act in the current session in Maine.
Legal experts and policy advocates discussed Washington, D.C. privacy regulation trends on April 9, 2026, including Maryland's ban on sensitive personal data sales affecting location data uses.
New York passed a health-data privacy bill in 2024 as HIPRA and the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 shaped U.S. consumer privacy rights and AI obligations.
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Maine senators advance data privacy bill in Augusta to regulate non public personal data and consider political group exemption ahead of upcoming votes.