Data Privacy

National data privacy standard would preempt state efforts

A bill in Congress would supersede more than a dozen state laws. While most support a national standard, some state leaders and experts worry the legislation’s preemption provisions are too prescriptive.

  • By Chris Teale

Survey: Few states have ‘established’ privacy program

As states race to protect Americans’ data, the number of chief privacy officers has increased in state government. Still, a majority reported in a recent survey that they are building their programs.

  • By Chris Teale

Is the US privacy policy good enough?

COMMENTARY | A disjointed approach plagued by compromises is making American data privacy policy more complicated and less effective in delivering the protections people desperately want and need to see.

  • By Gal Ringel

States push feds for greater online privacy protections for children

A bipartisan coalition of 43 attorneys general is urging the Federal Trade Commission to expand the definition of “personal information” to keep up with changes related to smartphones and social networks that play an increasing role in everyone’s life – including children.

  • By Lynne Terry, Oregon Capital Chronicle

With AI, anyone can be a victim of nonconsensual porn. Can laws keep up?

States around the country are scrambling to respond to the dramatic rise in deepfakes, a result of little regulation and easy-to-use apps.

  • By Mariel Padilla, The 19th

4 considerations for launching an effective digital ID system

COMMENTARY | Successful digital identification programs need to provide equal access, security, interoperability and user convenience.

  • By Carl Hammersburg

As privacy conversations become mainstream, data protection laws gain traction

The Garden State is the 13th to adopt a comprehensive data privacy framework, with more to go into effect this year and others set to follow with similar legislation.

  • By Chris Teale

States push ahead with social media laws amid legal challenges

Utah delayed its efforts for litigation purposes, while a judge blocked an Ohio law. But that hasn’t stopped other states, most recently Idaho and New York, from introducing their own restrictions to protect minors.

  • By Chris Teale

Why federal efforts to protect schools from cybersecurity threats fall short

K-12 schools are especially vulnerable to cyberattack because they lack the cybersecurity expertise and funding essential to protecting students' sensitive information.

  • By Nir Kshetri, The Conversation

How to use generative AI to improve operations while protecting sensitive data

COMMENTARY | Large language models like ChatGPT offer state and local agencies exciting new capabilities, but they also introduce new security risks.

  • By Mike Morper

DELETE Act closes ‘big loophole’ and tightens regulations on data brokers

California is the first state to allow residents to request that data brokers delete their personal data, but some worry it will be difficult to implement and enforce.

  • By Chris Teale

States advance data privacy laws as issue evades Congress

In the absence of federal action on data privacy standards, several states have stepped up. But some warned that could create a patchwork of laws and result in a compliance nightmare for businesses.

  • By Chris Teale
Featured eBooks
The State of Trust in Government
Cybersecurity in State and Local Government
Building Data Literacy in the State and Local Workforce

3 low-risk, low-budget ways state and local governments can protect their data

COMMENTARY | By taking advantage of federal resources and leaning into autonomous technology and cybersecurity education, agencies can keep constituent data safe.

  • By Joye Purser

Creating a framework for secure-by-design software development

COMMENTARY | State and local IT leaders can proactively address potential threats by prioritizing throughout the development process, regularly evaluating data security policies and keeping an inventory of software components.

  • By Joel Krooswyk

Handprints for IDs? State liquor board discusses biometrics for alcohol sales

Tech from Amazon and other companies makes the age verification option possible. Privacy advocates have concerns.

  • By Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard

US agencies buy vast quantities of personal information on the open market

COMMENTARY | The government faces legal restrictions on how much personal information it can gather on citizens, but the law is largely silent on agencies purchasing the data from commercial brokers.

  • By Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation

Lawmakers concerned White House will let TikTok stay in the US

Two Republican lawmakers warned that tweaked language in a new Commerce Department rule could lay the groundwork for TikTok’s proposal to store U.S. users’ data in the country.

  • By Edward Graham

The government has a controversial idea to track mental health crisis calls

The national 988 hotline may start pinpointing callers, a move opponents say could lead to forced intervention and violate caller trust.

  • By Colin Lecher, The Markup

3 Simple Steps to Improve Digital Government

COMMENTARY | A customer-centric approach to digital government can help agencies connect more individuals and families with critical services and strengthen the bonds of trust between government and those they serve.

  • By Michele Causey

ChatGPT’s Other Risk: Oversharing Confidential Data

As many as 6.5% of employees have pasted their organization’s data into ChatGPT, and 3.1% have copied and pasted sensitive data to the program, recent research showed.

  • By Susan Miller

Watchdog Urges States to Use ‘Extreme Caution’ on Facial Recognition

The use of facial recognition in unemployment insurance programs has spread across states, raising concerns from the Labor Department's watchdog about access and privacy.

  • By Natalie Alms