As the multi-billion dollar market for personal data expands, so are concerns about protecting everything from search histories to social security numbers. In response, Oregon is positioning itself as a leader in safeguarding its residents’ sensitive information. The nonprofit Oregon Consumer Justice recently convened a panel of experts to discuss the issue and potential solutions.
Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, said his initial interest in data privacy was around safeguarding reproductive health care patients and immigrants, but he discovered data privacy is a surprisingly bipartisan issue.
“There are so many other reasons why people can care about data privacy,” he said. “I think it’s a really incredible opportunity where we can deliver wins that matter to each of us for our own values, but really reach across the aisle in terms of the values that they speak to.”
Panelists said Oregon is on the forefront of data privacy legislation. The state passed the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act in 2023, which gives residents rights over their personal data. Another bill restricting the sale of geolocation data and other data related to minors will take effect in January.
Katie Blevins, privacy analyst with the Oregon Department of Justice, said anyone can request that individual companies delete their information, and added that under the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act, residents can file complaints with the DOJ if their requests are not honored or other privacy violations occur. Since the new law came into effect last year, she says the state has received nearly 300 consumer complaints – a much higher number compared to other states.
“People may not care as much if their local grocery store has some data about them, but they probably care more if a lot of data brokers have data about them,” she explained.
Buying and selling data is a multi-billion dollar industry.
Sean Patrick, with PDX Privacy, explained that with the progression of AI, more information is now being stored about regular citizens – including location, facial recognition data, spending patterns, and other personal details. He encouraged people to take action to protect their personal data.
“When we protect our information, we automatically begin to protect activists,” he stressed. “We protect protesters. We protect immigrant communities. We protect a huge host of people that don’t appear to be connected to us.”
Research shows 86% of the U.S. general population believe data privacy is a growing concern, and the majority report not knowing what companies are doing with their data.
