As life becomes increasingly digital, Texans are not afforded privacy, security, and control over huge swaths of data. It is time for a Digital Bill of Rights to safeguard data privacy for Texans.

Key points

  • Data collection practices have become more rampant, sophisticated, and granular, leaving many users unaware of their data and privacy rights.
  • Users have very little control over how their data is being used, and data application practices can have concerning consequences.
  • Other states have passed data privacy laws to tackle this issue, and the EU adopted the GDPR to secure data privacy and protection.
  • The Texas Legislature has addressed some data rights issues in previous sessions; however, more is needed to adequately address data privacy rights.
  • With a digital bill of rights, Texans can have improved privacy online, knowledge on how their data is being used, and data collection controls.