Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed Florida’s new data privacy law, making the sunshine state to be the 10th state to have such a law.
Like other privacy laws in other states, Florida’s law protects users’ rights, including the right to know what data is being collected and the right to get certain data deleted. It allows users to opt out of the collection of personal data via voice recognition. The law also defines geolocation information and biometric data as personal information.
The law also bans the collection of data of minors by banning services, products, and games from processing, collecting, retaining, sharing, or selling “any personal information that is not necessary to provide an online service, product, or feature.”
The law bans companies from processing, using, or selling sensitive data without the consent of users. It defines sensitive data as “an individual’s race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status; genetic or biometric data processed for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual; personal data from a known child; and precise geolocation data.”
The law has been somewhat criticized for only covering large tech companies, those making annual revenue of more than $1 billion.
“If a multibillion-dollar company is conspiring to take your data and sell it or use it against you, it is your right to be able to protect that data,” DeSantis said in a statement. “No longer will the Big Tech oligarchs be able to commandeer your personal information and deprive you of the right to access, confirm, or delete that data as you wish.”
The legislation also prohibits government employees from coordinating with social media platforms to censor content or remove accounts. Though, that’s covered by the First Amendment anyway.
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