This week, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford) called for answers regarding the personal data of Connecticut residents being collected through Facebook’s various internet platforms. On Friday, October 8, Senator Duff and Senator Maroney wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, and Will Castleberry, the Vice President of State Policy and Community Engagement, requesting information on data purchases on Connecticut residents, what type of data, if the data is sold, and how the data is used.
This request follows the testimony given by Ms. Frances Haugen before the United States Senate. Her testimony raised concern for both Senator Duff and Senator Maroney with how personal data is collected and used by Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Earlier this year, Senator Duff and Senator Maroney introduced legislation regarding data privacy and consumer privacy protections. Senate Bill 893, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy,” would have created a consumer data bill of rights and required big-tech companies to clearly state what data is being collected, how it’s being used, and why – and consumers would have the right to see that data, fix any errors in it, or delete it all. The bill received favorable votes in three committees, but was never voted on by the legislature. Both Senators plan to re-introduce this legislation again next session to address the issue of protecting personal data of residents in Connecticut.
The letter Senator Duff and Senator Maroney sent to Facebook is attached here.
