Policy Alert: Data Security & Net Neutrality

Policy Alert

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New York State Legislation:Data Security 

The New York State Assembly’s Committee on Consumer Protection will vote on a data security law tomorrow. The SHIELD Act (A5635) would increase data security requirements for companies in an effort to protect New Yorkers from data breaches. Under this act, companies would have a legal responsibility to adopt “reasonable” administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for sensitive data. The SHIELD Act provides important safe harbors and could benefit businesses that verify compliance and pursue independent certification. To read more about the act, check out our policy brief. The Assembly committee will likely pass the SHIELD Act tomorrow, but it has a ways to go before becoming law. The full Assembly would need to vote on it, and then the State Senate would have to do the same with its companion bill (S133). Finally, the governor would need to sign the bill into law. In the meantime, we are requesting your feedback. Does your company have any issues with the SHIELD Act and/or are there any amendments you would like to see? Please let us know as soon as possible as the legislation could start moving quickly and there is now an opportunity to weigh in.  

Federal Legislation:Net Neutrality

The fight for Net Neutrality is picking up down in DC and our friends at Engine have put together a letter calling on Senate Leader McConnell to bring the Save the Internet Act to the floor for a vote. This legislation—which already passed in the House—would restore 2015 net neutrality rules, providing certainty for businesses and startups, and ensuring critical consumer protections for Internet users.  Check here to see the letter and here to sign it.  

If you have any questions about an alert and/or would like to engage on these issues, email Tech:NYC's Policy Director Zach Hecht.