[Read our letters to legislators in Massachusetts and Maine.]
Today, Mozilla is calling for the passage of strong state privacy protections, such as those modeled off of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act at the federal level. Today’s action came in the form of letters to relevant committee leadership in the Massachusetts and Maine legislatures encouraging them to consider and pass proposals that have been introduced in their respective states.
At Mozilla, we believe that individuals’ security and privacy on the internet are fundamental and must not be treated as optional. In the best of worlds, this “privacy for all” mindset would mean a law at the federal level that protects all Americans from abuse and misuse of their data, which is why we have advocated for decisive action to pass a comprehensive Federal privacy law.
Recently, however, even more states are considering enacting privacy protections. These protections, if crafted incorrectly, could create a false facade of privacy for users and risk enshrining harmful data practices in the marketplace. If crafted correctly, they could provide vital privacy protections and drive further conversation of federal legislation.
The proposals we weighed in on today meet the Mozilla standard for privacy because they: require data minimization; create strong security requirements; prohibit deceptive design that impairs individual autonomy; prohibit algorithmic discrimination; and more.
Mozilla has previously supported legislative and regulatory action in California, and we hope to see more state legislatures introduce and pass strong privacy legislation.