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Privacy & Data

CDT Testifies to MA Legislature in Support of a Privacy Law Based on ADPPA

/ Eric Null

On October 19, CDT Privacy & Data Co-Director Eric Null testified in front of the Massachusetts legislature in support of the Data Protection Privacy Act, which was modeled largely on the federal bill, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), which CDT supported.

Massachusetts should pass a privacy law based on ADPPA because, first, ADPPA was extensively negotiated and received bipartisan support, and represented a reasonable compromise. Second, it was supported by both civil society and industry, unlike many state privacy bills, which are often written by industry and continue to permit many intrusive data practices and rely on the failed notice-consent model. 

Last, passing comprehensive privacy legislation is a necessary component of AI governance. Without protections such as data minimization, civil rights protections, and algorithmic assessments, AI could turn into yet another privacy problem that is difficult to unwind. Passing the Massachusetts bill would help avoid those problems.

Read his full testimony.

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