Massachusetts lawmakers pushed a new privacy law after a 146‑0 House vote, making the state the latest U.S. jurisdiction to curb data misuse. The bill grants residents control over data held by tech giants and bans the sale of precise location data. A unified Senate version will soon be sent to the governor for approval.

If enacted, the law targets companies processing data for over 100,000 consumers, hitting midsized startups and Silicon Valley titans. It bars sharing or selling sensitive info—biometrics, geolocation, religion, immigration status, or sexual orientation—without explicit consent. The move echoes national debate after the Biden administration’s near‑ban of sensitive data sales was rolled back by Trump policy.

The bill also imposes a blanket ban on location data sales for both residents and visitors, tightening controls over advertising firms that target audiences with location cues. Privacy advocates praised the legislation, calling it a major step against Big Tech surveillance. The ACLU hailed it as positioning Massachusetts as a leader in protecting personal privacy.

With the Senate set to merge the House and Senate versions, the bill will reach the governor shortly. Once signed, companies will face new compliance requirements, potentially reshaping data pipelines and advertising strategies across the state. Massachusetts now stands as a testbed for stricter consumer privacy standards nationwide that could influence policy discussions in other.