On Wednesday, the Washington State Senate overwhelmingly passed a new privacy bill that aims to tackle a lot of big issues, as reported by My Northwest.
The bill, SB-5376, takes inspiration from European privacy laws and California’s Consumer Protection Act. With this new bill, people would have the right-to-delete — meaning they could request private companies delete information about them or correct inaccurate data.
The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Reuven Carlyle, said, according to My Northwest, “This bill carefully, responsibly takes the best practices from Europe, California, and other states to build a data privacy regulatory framework that will help set a standard and lead the nation in bringing our data privacy laws into the 21st century.”
In addition, the bill would place restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology. State and local governments wouldn’t be able to use the technology without a warrant. This cuts down on the potential of ongoing surveillance.
Businesses who want to use facial recognition software have to post signs disclosing that the software is in use, according to The Columbian. They also have to hire human reviewers before making any decisions based on the technology.
The restrictions on facial recognition technology are reminiscent of a proposal in San Francisco seeking to ban government use of facial recognition technology, noting its potential for exacerbating racial injustice.
The bill still has to make its way through the House, but it shows promise. If Washington can pass this bill, that means other states across the country can be motivated to do the same.
