Data privacy has become a major concern in every part of the world, where everything you say is heard by the applications. Your right to privacy is surely breached with the intervention of such technology, but it depends on where an individual lives, as the definition of personal information differs in each state.
Data Privacy Laws in Massachusetts vs. California
In this article, we will go through the two different approaches run by California and Massachusetts in terms of protecting personal information.
While California has passed one of the most powerful privacy laws in the entire U.S., Massachusetts has concentrated on securing the consumer’s data rather than giving rights. Lawmakers in Massachusetts are now making new rules and legislation that would ease the control of the residents, similar to the existing one in California.
Let’s take a deeper look at what these states offer.
California
California is considered the National leader when it comes to privacy rights. In 2018, a history was made when passed CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) was passed, which came into effect in 2020. It was the first act where the Californians had the right to know what information had been collected by the company, and had the right to delete it.
Just after the execution of the existing law, the voters in California approved the CPRA (California Privacy Rights Act), which was an expansion of the current law. It enforced the agency to regulate the rules and govern the business practices. CPRA also aimed at protecting the personal information, including health conditions, location, bank records, and other necessary information.
In 2023, California passed a new act, namely the Delete Act, which allowed the residents to request that companies delete their data of personal information by making a single request. California has been initiating steps to simplify the control over digital data.
Massachusetts
As of now, Massachusetts is considered quite strong in security data, whereas it seems weak in securing consumer rights. The state has followed different approaches in which it focused more on prioritizing the data safety from breaches than to focus on giving the control to residents over their data. Massachusetts defines personal data as:
- Name of the person
- Social Security Number
- State-issued identification number.
- Bank Account number
- Debit or Credit Card (without its PIN or CVV)
How is Massachusetts Catching Up with California?
In 2025, a new Senate Bill 2516 was introduced by the Massachusetts lawmakers, which puts together all the components from earlier proposals and can possibly become Massachusetts’ first-ever comprehensive privacy law. If this bill is passed, it would give its citizens similar rights to its citizens as those of California.
This bill also includes a new provision, ‘Location Shield,’ in which the companies would require consent before collecting an individual’s data.
Who Should Follow These Laws?
In California, the CCPA and CPRA apply to most companies that do business in the state if they meet any of these thresholds: over $25 million in annual revenue, collect personal data from 100,000 or more people or households, or make at least half their revenue from selling or sharing personal data.
Massachusetts’ current rules apply to any business that owns or licenses personal information about state residents. But again, the focus is on how that data is protected, not on what rights consumers have over it.
Under the new proposed bill, Massachusetts would extend coverage to more types of data and apply to any business that collects or processes data on a significant number of residents.
What are the Implementation and Penalties?
California’s CPPA can examine and fine companies directly if they are found guilty of breaching the privacy. The law allows civil penalties of up to $2,500 for violations, which can extend up to $7,500 for intentional violations.
In Massachusetts, the implementation is regulated by the Attorney General’s office. Since there is no provision of private right to action, any business found guilty can face major penalties, especially if any evidence of negligence is found.
In all, California has more transparent and consumer-driven laws and penalties as compared to Massachusetts, which is not strict in terms of breaching data privacy.
One Better Than the Other
In California, the laws are stricter and transparent in terms of breaching data privacy. If it is found by the individual, he can delete it and even opt for targeted advertising.
Whereas, if an individual is worried about companies taking cyber threats seriously, Massachusetts’ methodology is quite peaceful, as it gives a clear picture of how businesses must secure their personal information.
Now imagine combining California’s consumer empowerment with Massachusetts’ detailed rules. Sounds good, right? A combination of such laws can create an ideal model for the other countries.
Summary
There has been growing pressure on the states by Congress to enact strict laws with respect to privacy. By far, California has set great standards to maintain digital safety by introducing groundbreaking laws that give right to their citizens to control their personal information.
Whereas Massachusetts is not offering the same consumer rights to its citizens, but leads in data security. If the Senate Bill 2516 is passed, its residents would enjoy the same perks as those of California, making it one of the most privacy-conscious states in the entire nation.
