On April 6, the Maryland legislature passed the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024, sending the bill to the state’s governor for signing.  The bill comes on the heels of the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act, which was signed into law on April 4.  If the Act is signed into law, it will bring the number of states with comprehensive privacy laws to 16.

On March 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 7520, the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024, targeting companies that sell sensitive information to “foreign adversaries.”  H.R. 7520 comes on the heels of two other major developments. First, House Resolution 7521 would require TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company. Second, President Biden’s Executive Order 14117, requires, among other things, that the Attorney General make rules restricting data brokers from selling bulk sensitive personal data to “countries of concern.” The two resolutions and the E.O. are part of a growing, bipartisan trend to restrict access to sensitive information by foreign adversaries.

Plaintiffs are becoming increasingly creative in their attempts to seek relief involving alleged privacy violations resulting from their online activity. This includes raising allegations of violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act, a federal law enacted in 1988 largely in response to privacy concerns surrounding businesses’ use of individuals’ video tape rental histories.