Massachusetts Passes Law Banning Sale of Location Data

Massachusetts legislators have approved a new privacy law that grants the right to control and delete personal data collected by major tech giants. The document strictly prohibits companies from selling users' precise geolocation data. The unanimous 146-0 vote in the House of Representatives demonstrated how important this initiative is at the state level. Techcrunch.com reports .

The new bill will now be reconciled in the Senate and is expected to be signed by the state governor. Since the US still lacks a federal privacy law, states are filling this gap by implementing their own regulations. Massachusetts has become the next state to take the strictest measures to protect consumer rights in this area.

The law applies to companies processing data of more than 100,000 consumers, including Silicon Valley titans and mid-sized startups. It prohibits the exchange or sale of biometric data, health status, genetic information, fingerprints, as well as data related to religious beliefs and sexual orientation without the user's explicit consent.

Data brokers have long purchased location data from app developers and sold it to third parties, including government and military entities. The new Massachusetts law protects not only state residents but also visitors' geolocation data, significantly impacting the advertising market in this sector.