Video & Transcript Research : 'user data'
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MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 4/2/25
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Transcript Highlights:
- The data I would refer to the Data Practices Act and what it says about criminal investigative data.
- to the data The data I would refer to the data practices<00:09:17.120>
act <00:09:18.080>and - criminal investigative data. criminal investigative data.
- The data classification provisions are consistent with existing data classification of similar data reported
- data classification of similar data data classification of similar data reported<00:31:57.440>
Keywords:
medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Judiciary Committee Meeting - 2025-04-01
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Transcript Highlights:
- My hope always is with data practices that when someone like Representative Green, who is new to data
- So, my question is, if you're gathering all this data, but the public is not able to see the data, and
- We'd love to see data on that.
- Passing that there would be a large fiscal note just to collect the data that small amount of data that
- sometimes health-related data or other kinds of data.
Bills:
HF2233, HF1999, HF1995, HF1614, HF2781, HF1775, HF1316, HF2127, HF2521, HF689, HF2380, HF1273
Keywords:
Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee 4/1/25
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Transcript Highlights:
- anonymous data requests. And since I was anonymous data requests.
- My hope always is with data practices that when someone like Representative Green, who is green on data
- public has every right to request data public has every right to request data from<00:14:48.160>
- <00:42:59.839>
to right now we do not have good data to right now we do not have good data - often do with health-related data or other kinds of data.
Bills:
HF2233, HF1999, HF1995, HF1614, HF2781, HF1775, HF1316, HF2127, HF2521, HF689, HF2380, HF1273
Keywords:
Uniform Special Deposits Act, special deposit, banking law, financial institutions, escrow, escrow account, trust account, security deposit, beneficiary, depositor, creditor process, garnishment, attachment, levy, setoff, recoupment, financial market infrastructure, retirement benefits, compensation, earnest money
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Science, Technology and Telecommunications Nov 12th, 2025
Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Data backup modernization.
- Accidentally lose data.
- and the insights, and that data is able to flow to where it needs to go, and also that that data is
- In Agile, we're calling it a user story, really acknowledging the piece that the user plays in all of
- Then data backup modernization.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Joint Legislative Auditing Committee Oct 13th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- The user can create reports and charts by comparing and filtering the data.
- The user can choose a fiscal year and the data is categorized by agency.
- The user can click on the links and choose to see the data in an agency format or ledger format.
- The user can drill into position data and view positions by title.
- The user can drill into position data and view positions by title.
Summary:
The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive updates on Transparency Florida and related transparency tools. The Governor’s Office and the Department of Financial Services described the Transparency Florida website, the state payment and contract systems, and the local-government financial reporting system (Logger X/XBRL), emphasizing public access, searchable payment and contract data, downloadable reports, and ongoing upgrades. Members asked whether school districts and the Department of Corrections are included in these systems; staff explained that state agencies like Corrections are covered through Transparency Florida, FACTS, and the state financial reports, while Logger X is for local governments. Committee staff reported that the Transparency Florida Act’s requirements have been met and noted that any new recommendations would need legislative action; members were invited to submit recommendations by October 30.
The committee then reviewed repeated audit findings for local governments and educational entities. Staff explained the statutory process for “three-peat” findings: first requesting an updated written corrective-action status, then possibly requiring an appearance before the committee, and finally taking further action if findings remain uncorrected. Most entities were recommended for written updates, while the City of Daytona Beach was singled out for an in-person appearance because of a repeated finding involving unexpended building permit balances. Members also raised questions about specific entities, including McIntosh, White Springs, Pahokee, and the Fred R. Wilson Memorial Law Library special district, with staff explaining the nature of the findings and noting that some entities may warrant further review.
The committee adopted a motion to accept staff’s recommendations and to send letters to entities with uncorrected audit findings in late-filed 2023-24 audit reports. It also approved a motion directing the Auditor General and OPPAGA to conduct the required audit of the Department of the Lottery for fiscal year 2025-26, with the Auditor General handling financial, internal control, and compliance work and OPPAGA preparing operational recommendations. The meeting concluded with notice that the next meeting was tentatively scheduled for November 3 at 3:30 p.m., followed by adjournment.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee Meeting Jun 23rd, 2026
Environment, Energy & Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- This is the data center, a large data center bill.
- Fourteen states extend their data center tax incentives to cover electricity used by data centers in
- , in fact, other large-load users.
- only be data centers.
- Again, it’s data center.
Summary:
The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached.
Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided.
The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Small Business and Information Technology (2-18-26)
Small Business & Information Technology
Transcript Highlights:
- user, including a lifelong<00:08:03.680>
user. - Section two requires platforms to estimate users' age with 80 to 90% confidence using only data they
- require the collection of sensitive user require the collection of sensitive user data<00:29:52.799
- They said that when platforms are forced to overrestrict content or collect more user data to avoid lawsuits
- They explained that the platforms use data about users' interests, ages, and demographics to sell those
Keywords:
Meeting start: 00:00
Roll call: 00:05
HB 227 discussion: 01:10
HB 227 voting: 49:38, 958, all
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum to consider House Bill 227, a time-sensitive measure focused on social media use by minors. The bill sponsor, Rep. Matt Lockett, and supporters including counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, the Attorney General’s office, and the Family Foundation argued that social media is addictive and harmful to children, contributes to mental health problems and exploitation, and that the bill would give parents more control while regulating addictive features rather than banning speech. Supporters said the bill is narrowly tailored, content-neutral, and designed to withstand constitutional scrutiny; the Attorney General’s office said it would defend the bill if challenged and described ongoing multi-state litigation against major platforms. One committee member also described seeing inappropriate AI-generated content on a 16-year-old’s phone as an example of the problem the bill seeks to address.
Opposition testimony came from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, NetChoice, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association. They argued the bill raises First Amendment concerns because it conditions minors’ access on parental consent, regulates how private platforms communicate with users, and could function as a de facto speech ban. They also warned that the age-estimation requirement could force platforms to collect more sensitive data, creating privacy and security risks, and that the ban on “addictive features” was overly broad and could sweep in personalized feeds, notifications, autoplay, and other common tools. Opponents said the bill could especially harm vulnerable youth who rely on online access for community or safety information and urged the committee to craft a constitutional alternative.
During questions, members asked how the state could enforce the law against national companies and were told enforcement would come through the Attorney General within Kentucky and potentially through multi-state litigation. Members also discussed the bill’s practical effects, including advertising revenue from youth users and the need for guardrails to protect children. The discussion continued with questions about the bill’s scope, parental consent, age estimation, and liability provisions, but no final vote or other committee action was shown in the excerpt.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
February 11, 2025 - 09:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- and other authorized users.
- of duplication of data.
- Of duplication of data.
- 2,000 users.
- We do have access to the data.
Summary:
The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided.
The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate.
Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.
VA
Virginia 2026 1st Special Session
Communications, Technology and Innovation Mar 9th, 2026
Communications, Technology and Innovation
Transcript Highlights:
- One is it provides for portability of data for social media companies and AI, meaning you as a user are
- to export the data.
- Consumer Data Protection Act.
- to having their data shared.
- By giving users the right to take their data—they should own their data—and their social connections
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- requires the Civil Rights Commission to compile an annual report and hold an annual public hearing on data
- bill and request in the committee report full-time positions, two civil rights investigators, one data
- legislature and posted on HCRC's website and specify that these reports use aggregated anonymized data
- civil rights positions, two civil rights investigators,<00:36:40.079>
one <00:36:40.240>data - analyst, and one investigators, one data analyst, and one program<00:36:41.599>
manager.
Keywords:
civil rights, helpline, investigator, data analysis, Aloha United Way, reporting, confidentiality, community support, mandatory retirement, Hawaii Constitution, judiciary, justices, judges, 912, senate, all
Summary:
The Judiciary Committee heard SB 2055, which would create a Civil Rights Commission helpline for reports of harms from federal deployments in Hawaii and require annual reporting and a public hearing. The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission supported the concept but said the bill should be broadened to cover civil rights and human rights violations more generally, and recommended using existing 211/Aloha United Way infrastructure. Testimony was largely in support, with a few opponents. Members focused on whether the proposed line was really a 24-hour legal hotline or a reporting/referral mechanism, what jurisdiction the commission would have over federal employees, and the estimated costs. The committee chair indicated the bill would move forward with amendments, including adopting HCRC recommendations and adding appropriations for Aloha United Way, database/website development, and staffing.
The committee then heard SB 2152, a proposed constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for state judges and justices from 70 to 75. Judge Robert D.S. Kim, the Office of the Public Defender, Earthjustice, Community Alliance on Prisons, the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, United Public Workers, the League of Women Voters, ILWU Local 142, CARES, and others testified in support, arguing that experienced judges improve stability, reduce vacancies, and preserve institutional knowledge. Opponents or skeptical comments were limited, but one member questioned whether the measure was just a temporary fix rather than a broader solution to judicial succession and mentoring.
Members also asked about existing retention and fitness safeguards, including Judicial Selection Commission retention hearings and the Commission on Judicial Conduct’s ability to investigate complaints about a judge’s physical or mental ability to serve. The discussion noted that the measure would still leave those processes in place. No final vote on SB 2152 was taken in the portion provided, but the committee appeared to be moving toward decision-making after questions concluded.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 03/26/26
Environment, Climate, and Legacy
Transcript Highlights:
- c> in data hyperscale data center in data hyperscale data center in Farmington<00:48:21.840>
uh - hyper scale data center. hyper scale data center.
- It is a large water user.
- It is a large water user.<01:04:35.920>
So, user. So, user. - I'm a user myself.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Special Legislative Commission on Emerging Firearm Technology Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- The experience of using the firearm remains familiar for an authorized user, as the user pulls a trigger
- , to see which users are enrolled, or to access biometric data.
- It's how the smart gun can guide the user through enrolling additional users, removing users, things
- The Massachusetts Data Privacy Act, which is House 104, Senate 29, Senate 45, and the Mass Consumer Data
- protected by the state's data breach law.
Summary:
The commission met for its fourth hearing on emerging firearm technology, focused on personalized firearms and related privacy issues. Co-chairs noted the commission’s charge to study personalized firearm incentives, risks from digital manufacturing codes and AI, and the costs of requiring personalized firearm and microstamp technologies, and said the report deadline is being extended to July 31. They also announced the next public hearing for April 17 at 11:00 a.m., limited to Massachusetts residents.
The first witness, Kai Kloepfer of Biofire, described the company’s personalized 9mm smart gun and argued it is designed to prevent unauthorized use through biometric authentication, local encrypted data storage, no wireless connectivity, and automatic disarming when released. He said Biofire opposes any mandate requiring personalized firearms, calling such mandates a de facto gun ban that would stifle innovation, limit consumer choice, and burden a still-developing market. He said the company has a patent portfolio, has received thousands of pre-orders, is shipping in all 50 states, and is approved for sale in Massachusetts; he also said the gun costs about $1,500, is currently sold online, and is intended mainly for home defense. Members questioned him about sales, manufacturing, battery life, repairability, transfer of ownership, possible expansion to other firearms, and whether microstamping could be incorporated.
A Massachusetts firearms roster official, Michaela Dunn, explained the state’s testing and approval process for handguns and confirmed that the Biofire firearm is now on the Massachusetts roster and commercially available for retail sale in the state. Kate Crockford of the ACLU of Massachusetts testified only on facial recognition, warning that commercially available systems show significant demographic bias and that Massachusetts lacks comprehensive biometric privacy protections. She urged passage of pending data privacy and biometric privacy bills, including the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act and related measures, before any broader use of biometric verification in firearm laws. Commissioners discussed privacy concerns, and Biofire said its system is zero-knowledge and would likely comply with stronger biometric privacy laws. No votes were taken and no formal action was reported beyond the scheduling announcement and the extension effort.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Transportation Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- And we do have some minimal data around that.
- Improved reporting and data collection will create an opportunity to develop more accurate data and,
- At AAA, we thrive on data. Our policies are built on the foundation of the data we collect.
- We actually require motorized users to yield to any non-motorized user and any wheeled user to yield
- I also have a comment about crossings for trail users.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hybrid hearing on the governor’s Ride Safe Act, S. 3077, and related micromobility bills. Chairs and administration officials described the bill as a statewide, speed-based framework for e-bikes, scooters, mopeds, and similar devices, intended to replace outdated device categories with clearer rules for age limits, helmets, equipment, operating locations, registration, insurance for higher-speed devices, and restrictions on tampering. They also emphasized improved crash-data collection, a working group for future updates, and battery safety standards such as UL certification to reduce fire risk. Committee members asked about enforcement, shared-use paths, commuter rail accommodations, battery storage, and how the bill would apply to other vehicles like quads; the administration said some issues would need further study or follow-up.
Testimony from advocates, municipal officials, and commission members was mixed but generally supportive of clearer statewide rules. Transportation and safety advocates backed the speed-based tier system but urged additional measures, including a default speed limit on shared-use paths, automated enforcement, and more funding for Complete Streets and Shared Streets programs. Bike shop and police representatives said current laws are confusing for riders and law enforcement and that better definitions and data reporting are needed. Several speakers stressed that enforcement and education will be critical, and that local patchwork rules are difficult to apply consistently.
Medical testimony strongly supported tighter protections for young riders. Pediatric emergency and trauma doctors described a sharp rise in serious injuries and deaths involving e-bikes and scooters, including severe pediatric cases, and urged amendments adding a minimum age for faster devices and a universal helmet requirement. They argued that the force and weight of these devices make crashes more dangerous than conventional bicycles and pointed to past Massachusetts safety laws as evidence that age and equipment restrictions can reduce injuries.
Some public testimony opposed the bill as written, especially from moped commuters who argued that gas-powered mopeds are being treated differently from comparable electric devices and should be included in the framework. They called for clearer rules on bike-lane access, insurance, parking, and statewide standards for mopeds as vulnerable road users. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and questions only.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- , identity of the user, identity of the user, but<00:03:23.800>
um <00:03:24.239>if - directed at the user. directed at the user.
- develop a relationship with a user. develop a relationship with a user.
- . user. user.
- Yeah, let me pull up the data. Yeah, let me pull up the data.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
January 14, 2026 - 08:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- That means converting the flare data home data, putting that in the system, testing it every all of the
- We've been practicing the data conversion.
- I'm just saying that in our world we have we have the data conversion, this just the data.
- Was we decided to bring in a smaller user group.
- We have 30 plus sessions where we're bring any just users and we did the same thing for the small user
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House committee considers bill to tax social media platforms, HF3117 4/9/25
Transcript Highlights:
- Though their focus is local content and advertising, they may collect user data through site visits,
- > visits, collect user data through site visits, collect user data through site visits, newsletter
- , users that consume a product, um, that they know that their data is being mined.
- <00:48:14.720>
We <00:48:14.960>don't that pays users for their data. - We don't that pays users for their data.
Summary:
The committee took up House File 3117, which would impose an excise tax on social media companies based on Minnesota monthly users and data-mining activity, and adopted an A1 amendment that added clarifying language identifying social media platforms. Chair Gomez described the bill as a way to tax companies profiting from data mining and social media use, citing concerns about child bullying, misinformation, and wealth concentration. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the 2025 taxes bill.
Supporters testified that the measure would help raise revenue from a highly profitable industry and better align the tax code with the social costs of data collection and social media use. Pastor Julie Thompson, MAPE representative Tanner Fritzinger, Council Member Sue Bud, and Eric Bernstein of We Make Minnesota all backed the bill, arguing that social media companies extract value from users’ data, contribute to mental health and social harms, and should pay more toward public needs. Bernstein also framed the tax as a way to broaden the tax base and fund schools and other services.
Opponents warned that the bill could sweep in local broadcasters, newspapers, and other businesses that use digital platforms and collect some user data, and that costs would likely be passed on to consumers. Wendy Pollson of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association said the definitions were too broad and could unintentionally include local media. Deb Peters, speaking for Americans for Digital Opportunity, argued the tax would raise costs for small businesses and consumers, create legal risks, and amount to double taxation. Several members echoed concerns about regressivity, administration, and whether the bill actually addresses online bullying or data privacy, while supporters said it is a first step toward taxing a new, lightly taxed industry.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 3/10/26
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- This definition encompasses hyperscale data centers as well as other large volume users, potentially
- speaking to folks about data when speaking to folks about data centers,<00:25:43.279>
uh, <00: - pre-lication information from a data pre-lication information from a data center<00:35:10.640>
electricity generation powering the data electricity generation powering the data center.<00:35: - So now that's a data center.
Keywords:
groundwater, water use permit, data centers, public health, environmental regulations, municipalities, state park license plate, specialty license plate, Minnesota DNR, Department of Natural Resources, license plate design contest, North Shore, Lake Superior Agate, AI-generated art, artificial intelligence, Minnesota resident, state parks, specialty plates, vehicle registration, contest requirements
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 4/1/25
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- And that's just one data generation.
- <00:03:10.959>
center could be looked at as the data center could be looked at as the data - conversation with data centers. conversation with data centers.
- and large end users.
- and data centers.
Keywords:
water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability, 1183, house
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommitee Nov 3rd, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- between key components, infrastructure, vehicles, and users, as well as data nodes, are all part of
- As part of that, we're sharing our data with them, and they're sharing their data with us as part of
- the data."
- This is both to impose a barrier between the government and any sensitive user data and to lower compliance
- Any sensitive user data that is sent to these private Commercial Account Managers (CAMs) would still
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee Apr 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- And today's AI chatbots are designed to optimize user engagement. Thank you.
- option to opt out of data sharing.
- effective user controls over data, including centralized controls.
- laws the state has to do when they have that data.
- laws the state has to do when they have that data.
Summary:
The committee heard several privacy and consumer protection bills, with most of the discussion focused on AI and social media. AB 1405 would create a state registry for AI auditors and set basic transparency, ethics, and qualification standards for those auditors; supporters said it would build trust and provide a foundation for future AI oversight, while some members questioned whether government should define auditor qualifications instead of industry groups. The bill was moved out on a 5-1 vote to Appropriations, with the roll left open.
AB 2, by Assemblymember Lowenthal, would impose enhanced financial penalties on large social media companies when their negligence causes harm to children and teens. Supporters, including a grieving parent and Common Sense Media, argued the bill would create accountability for harmful algorithms and design choices, while opponents from TechNet, EFF, CCIA, and CalChamber warned it was vague, could chill speech, invite censorship, and raise Section 230 and First Amendment concerns. Committee members debated private right of action versus public enforcement, possible shakedown lawsuits, and whether the bill should be narrowed; the bill passed 6-0 to Judiciary with the roll left open.
AB 410 would expand California’s bot disclosure law so bots must identify themselves up front and truthfully if asked, rather than only prohibiting deceptive bots in limited commercial or election contexts. Supporters said the measure would help users, especially youth and vulnerable people, know when they are interacting with AI and reduce deception online; one privacy group withdrew opposition after amendments, and other industry groups said they were no longer opposed or had no formal position. The bill passed 9-1 to Appropriations with the roll left open. The committee also approved AB 1327, which lets consumers cancel home improvement contracts by email instead of only by mail and requires phone assistance for cancellations; the Contractor State License Board withdrew opposition after amendments, and the bill passed 11-0 to Judiciary with the roll left open.