Massachusetts House passes strong data privacy bill banning sale of cell phone location data

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2026 Email: press@fightforthefuture.org Phone: 978-852-6457

The MA House just passed the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act, which if signed by the Governor would be one of the strongest data privacy bills in the United States. The House-passed version of the bill contains a complete ban on the sale of precise cell phone location data, and despite fierce industry lobbying, a private right of action allowing people to sue Big Tech companies for data abuses.

Please see a press release here from the coalition of civil rights and reproductive justice groups that has led the fight for this legislation in MA: https://www.aclum.org/press-releases/civil-rights-and-reproductive-justice-groups-applaud-unanimous-house-passage-of-massachusetts-consumer-data-privacy-act/

The bill will now go to a conference committee to reconcile it with a similar bill passed by the Massachusetts Senate earlier this year. Both bills have strengths and weaknesses, and Fight for the Future will be joining other advocates in pushing for the final passage of the strongest bill possible.

Evan Greer (she/her), director of Fight for the Future, issued the following statement:

“Companies shouldn’t be able to track you everywhere you go and then sell that information on the open market. Today, Massachusetts took a major step toward cracking down on Big Tech’s surveillance abuses. In Trump’s America, we know that privacy protections are a matter of life and death for LGBTQ+ youth, undocumented folks, and other vulnerable communities. We’ll continue to push for the MA legislature to pass the strongest privacy legislation possible.”

Fight for the Future has been leading the charge against the misguided and unconstitutional age verification proposals put forward by the MA House and Governor Maura Healey earlier this year. Our growing coalition of LGBTQ+, civil liberties, racial justice and human rights groups believe strong privacy legislation like what the MA house passed today would do far more to protect kids (and everyone else) from Big Tech harms. The House and Senate should work quickly to pass the strongest possible data privacy bill. And then work with experts and impacted communities on additional legislation to address the harms of large, surveillance-driven social media companies.