Florida private right of action state policy

Florida House of Representatives Passes Florida Privacy Protection Act

The Florida House of Representatives today passed the Florida Privacy Protection Act, HB 969, on a 118-1 vote. The bill gives Floridians the right to know what information companies have collected about them, the right to delete and correct that information, the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their personal information, strong limits on the retention of their data, and additional protections for their children’s privacy. Critically, the bill would create robust enforcement mechanisms, including a private right of action, to ensure companies do not flout the law. EPIC and a coalition of privacy and consumer organizations had previously sent letters to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida House Commerce Committee, and Florida's Senate Rules Committee urging them to preserve private rights of action the bill. "The inclusion of a private right of action in HB 969 and SB 1734 is the most important tool the Legislature can give to Floridians to protect their privacy," the groups wrote. "The statutory damages set in privacy laws are not large in an individual case, but they can provide a powerful incentive in large cases and are necessary to ensure that privacy rights will be taken seriously and violations not tolerated. In the absence of a private right of action, there is a very real risk that companies will not comply with the law because they think it is unlikely that they would get caught or fined." The Senate Rules Committee removed the private right of action provisions from the Senate bill, but the Senate could restore the crucial enforcement provision on the floor this week.

April 21, 2021| Share: