Privacy Work Group

Mission

Purpose and Scope

The rise of the data economy has policymakers, industry experts, economists and consumers considering the implications of data privacy policy on business and society. The growth in internet, mobile and social network connectivity has greatly increased the amount of personally identifiable data consumers generate and share with companies and other third parties. With new laws in many states and the passage of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), businesses and governments are now being required to adjust to a more complex regulatory regime. New policies will define how consumers protect their data and how businesses and governments operate in the future.

NCSL is a policy leader in data privacy at the state and federal levels. In August 2019 as part of its annual Legislative Summit, NCSL adopted a new directive on data privacy aimed at ensuring regular and meaningful consultation between states and federal lawmakers as Congress attempts to draft federal data privacy legislation. NCSL will continue to play a major role in guiding states on principles to consider when crafting privacy policy to protect consumers and create clear standards for third parties. As such, NCSL plans to create a privacy working group and involve the members and private sector sponsors of the Task Force on Cybersecurity.

The Privacy Working Group will examine policy issues including consumer data privacy, algorithms, government data usage, transparency, big data, law enforcement issues, and intersections between data privacy and cybersecurity.