The Monopoly Report

Episode 52: State Privacy Law with Senator James Maroney

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On this episode, Alan Chapell is joined by Connecticut State Senator James Maroney as the Senator shares the backstory regarding how he got involved in pushing for a privacy law in Connecticut, how those efforts are impacted by lobbying efforts, and how different states are collaborating to create the privacy and AI patchwork.


The Senator also shares what's on his mind when it comes to future privacy and AI laws for Connecticut. The Senator's bio is available at https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/senator/james-maroney/bio"

Takeaways

  • Privacy policymaking often starts accidentally, not by design.
    • Lobbying pressure remains the biggest barrier to passing strong privacy laws.
      • Persistence and bipartisan cooperation helped Connecticut succeed after three years.
        • The Global Privacy Control requirement made Connecticut a national privacy leader.
          • Simplified opt-out processes improve user empowerment and enforcement.
            • Consent fatigue weakens privacy protections; minimization is a better path.
              • Broad definitions of personal data can discourage privacy innovation.
                • Data brokers and AI oversight are the next frontiers in state privacy policy.
                  • Multi-state collaboration is reshaping privacy and AI governance in the U.S.
                    • Federal law should set a strong floor, not a ceiling, for privacy protections.

                      • Chapters

                      00:00 Introduction and Senator Maroney’s background

                      01:00 How privacy legislation found him
                      02:32 Early challenges and heavy lobbying resistance
                      05:04 Lessons from failed attempts and building allies
                      07:46 Adding the Global Privacy Control requirement
                      10:02 Balancing consent fatigue with real user protection
                      12:45 Defining personal vs. de-identified data
                      15:31 Strengthening Connecticut’s law through updates
                      17:47 Considering data broker oversight and the DELETE Act
                      20:31 Multi-state collaboration and AI policy efforts
                      23:45 Regulating sensitive data and consent standards
                      27:00 Authorized agents and consumer rights limits
                      31:02 Rulemaking challenges and avoiding patchwork laws
                      35:32 Federal preemption, enforcement, and private actions
                      40:30 Enforcement, lawsuits, and the search for balance
                      43:00 Closing remarks and UConn basketball predictions

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                      The Monopoly ReportBy Alan Chapell