The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is testifying today before the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee, expressing support for HB 1365. This bill aims to update Maryland's data privacy law by aligning it with national and international standards while ensuring that consumers retain access to essential digital services.
Currently, Maryland employs a "strict necessity" data minimization standard, which requires businesses to prove that any consumer data collected is strictly necessary for a specific product or service. This stringent requirement has been seen as discouraging companies from operating in Maryland and limiting access to widely used digital tools like voice recognition and text-to-speech. HB 1365 proposes replacing this rigid rule with a more practical standard consistent with broader privacy laws. The bill seeks to allow businesses to collect only the data necessary for a specific purpose, thereby maintaining strong privacy protections while enabling continued access to valuable services such as personalized recommendations, security improvements, and digital accessibility tools.
In its testimony, CCIA also plans to express concerns about HB 1407. This proposed legislation could impose liability on intermediaries rather than those who knowingly misuse AI-generated content. The association cautions that this approach might hinder innovation and restrict legitimate uses of AI technology. CCIA advocates for laws that specifically target individuals who engage in harmful digital impersonation instead of broadly assigning liability to service providers.
Megan Stokes, State Policy Director for CCIA, stated: “We support HB 1365 because it brings Maryland’s data privacy law in line with national and international standards while ensuring that businesses can continue offering essential services to consumers. By replacing the overly restrictive ‘strict necessity’ standard with a more practical approach, the bill enhances privacy protections without undermining accessibility and innovation. We urge lawmakers to pass HB 1365 to provide clear, effective privacy safeguards for Marylanders.”
