New Oregon law to provide ‘gold standard’ for data protection

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – As of July 1, Oregonians have new consumer privacy protections, the Oregon Attorney General’s Office announced.

The Oregon Consumer Privacy Act , which was signed into law in 2023, took effect on Monday and outlines consumer data rights while aiming to hold companies that have access to consumer data to “high standards.”

The law stems from Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s Consumer Privacy Task Force – a group of more than 150 experts and stakeholders who met every month for four years to study best-practice models from around the United States.

“As technology advances, our consumer protection laws must keep pace. The OCPA does just that— providing the gold standard in consumer privacy protections nationwide,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. “I am most grateful to all who participated on the Consumer Privacy Task Force, to the Oregon legislature for passing this law, and to the Governor for signing it. I strongly urge all Oregonians to familiarize themselves with their new rights and protections.”

The OCPA sets data protection rules for businesses, including nonprofits.

Under the bill, consumers can get a list of specific entities that received their personal data and have a “right to correction” – meaning consumers can edit any inaccuracies in data about them.

Additionally, consumers have a right to delete the data a business has about them, and the right to opt out of businesses selling, profiling, or using their data for targeted advertising under the bill.

Even though some businesses already had these protections in place, the OCPA now makes them a legal requirement, Rosenblum’s office said.

Under the law, businesses are required to limit their collection of personal data, be transparent about how they use and secure consumer data and must obtain consent before collecting data. Additionally, businesses are required to protect the personal data of children and teens.

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