California may limit location tracking on phones

Feb. 25, 2025, 7:32 PM UTC

A new California bill would ban selling or sharing consumers cell phone location data, and place restrictions on collecting it.

  • Maryland became the first state to ban the sale of geolocation data in a privacy law enacted last year. Massachusetts, Vermont, and Virginia also considered such limits.
  • Under current California law, a business can sell and share sensitive personal information, such as geolocation or genetic data, until the person opts out.
  • Companies collecting such data would be required under a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D) to prove it’s necessary to provide a good or service, and the ...

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