Group Letter Urging Virginia Governor To Veto Privacy Bill

Download a letter (see “resource file” or “report” link) from U.S. PIRG and other leading state and national consumer and privacy groups urging Virginia Governor to veto industry-approved privacy law that won’t protect consumers.

Excerpt:

Re: Request to Veto the Consumer Data Protection Act

Dear Governor Northam,

The undersigned groups are organizations dedicated to consumer advocacy and protecting consumer privacy. We thank Virginia legislators for their concern about privacy but we respectfully ask you to veto the Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA)–or consider adding a reenactment clause to this bill –because it falls far short of adequately protecting and empowering Virginians, and it allows unfair discrimination against those who exercise the few rights it provides.

As the legislature has recognized with this bill, average people have little insight into the ways that companies collect and use their information, and even fewer mechanisms for control over their personal data. We have worked with legislators across the country to encourage crafting legislation that gives consumers meaningful tools to better protect their privacy. To help address these issues, we suggest the bill be returned in the legislature to add the following protections: