A state law went into effect Tuesday that gives Montanans more control over their online personal data.
The Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act gives Montanans the right to access, correct, and delete personal data collected by companies on the internet. It also provides a way for folks to automatically opt-out of data collection.
The law applies to large companies like search engines and social media, as well as third-party brokers that harvest and sell personal data.
Ellen Hengesbach is a data privacy advocate with Public Interest Research Groups. She says companies collect information about users when they visit their websites.
“And this is bad for your personal security because the more data companies collect– and the more other companies they then sell it to– then the more likely it is your information will eventually be exposed in a breach or a hack and end up in the hands of identity thieves or scammers,” said Hengesbach.
The act allows Montanans to utilize a tool called a ‘universal opt out mechanism’ which automatically tells companies not to collect or sell your personal data. The act was passed with unanimous support from the state Legislature in 2023.
