Information processors should adjust to the legislation by March 31, 2024, although small companies may have a number of extra months to return into compliance.
It additionally bars the usage of “geofences” — digital perimeters that sweep up knowledge about cellphones round a bodily location, to ship unsolicited messages to folks at well being amenities.
The legislation is an early sign of the trickle-down impression of the Supreme Courtroom’s Dobbs v. Jackson Girls’s Well being Group determination final 12 months, which overturned Roe v. Wade and will usher in a patchwork of various state legal guidelines governing shoppers’ well being knowledge and entry to abortion data.
Different Democratic-led states might observe Washington’s lead in passing laws with protections for delicate well being knowledge. In the meantime, Republicans might think about different restrictions on tech firms. South Carolina final 12 months thought-about a invoice that may outlaw web sites that designate the way to get an abortion, however the proposal finally didn’t turn out to be legislation amid considerations about that it’d infringe on free speech.
The Dobbs ruling sparked new fears amongst privateness advocates who’ve warned that knowledge from apps that monitor menstrual cycles and Google search histories might turn out to be a gold mine for prosecutors pursuing instances associated to abortion.
Already there have been situations the place such knowledge was utilized in prosecutions of pregnant people. In a single high-profile case final 12 months, Fb confronted political blowback after it shared personal messages between a younger lady and her mom with Nebraska authorities investigating the loss of life and disposal of a fetus.
State attorneys generals and shoppers can carry lawsuits in opposition to firms who don’t comply, which may carry fines of as much as $7,500 per violation.
“My Well being, My Information protects the independence and dignity of people once they make well being care choices,” stated invoice sponsor Rep. Vandana Slatter. “It prevents vulnerabilities within the technological period which might be getting used to focus on and exploit shoppers who is probably not conscious of the huge knowledge that the whole lot from our watches and telephones gather.”
The legislation was considered one of a package deal of payments that Inslee signed on Thursday looking for to affirm Washington residents’ rights to entry abortion.
TechNet, an business group that represents Apple, Google, Meta and different main firms, stated it agreed with “the underlying intent of the invoice” however opposes the legislation that was handed. Ashley Sutton, an government for the group, stated the brand new measure will result in a “deluge of opt-in notifications.”
