Enact the Ohio Personal Privacy Act
The bill has significant implications for state laws as it sets a framework that overrides existing local regulations regarding personal data processing. It prohibits local governments from implementing their own standards, thereby centralizing all regulatory compliance to state-level enforcement. This creates uniformity in data privacy provisions across the state but also raises concerns about local autonomy in addressing specific issues that may not be covered uniformly by the statewide guidelines.
House Bill 345, known as the Ohio Personal Privacy Act, aims to create comprehensive data protection regulations that govern how personal data is collected, processed, and sold by businesses in Ohio. The bill establishes clear guidelines for consumer rights regarding personal data, including the right to know what data is collected, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt-out of data sales or targeted advertising. Additionally, businesses are required to develop privacy policies that transparently disclose their data practices and the rights available to consumers under this act.
Notably, the bill has sparked debates regarding its enforcement and the balance of power between state regulations and local governance. Critics argue that by limiting local control, the bill undermines communities’ abilities to tailor regulations that fit their unique needs. Furthermore, the bill eliminates consumers' direct rights to initiate private legal actions for violations, delegating enforcement solely to the Attorney General, which some view as a limitation on accountability for businesses.
The proposed enforcement structure allows the Attorney General to address violations through civil penalties, with a tiered approach to penalties based on the number of affected consumers. However, the lack of a private right of action has been a point of contention, leading to concerns that consumers may not have sufficient recourse in instances of data misuse or negligence. This has led advocates to push for amendments that might provide more robust consumer-facing legal protections.