Location Shield Act
Full title: An Act to protect safety and privacy by stopping the sale of location data (H.86 / S.197)
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian & Rep. David Vieira; Sen. Cindy Creem
The Issue
Every day, unregulated data brokers buy and sell personal location data from apps on our cellphones. This data can be used by extremists seeking to target people seeking abortion care or gender-affirming care, predatory bosses seeking to harass their workers, domestic abusers seeking to track their victims, and bad actors seeking to track protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
Data brokers can buy and sell personal location information collected from apps on our cellphones. This includes apps that we use to help us order food, play a game, check the weather, travel, or post to social media. The list goes on. These apps collect information about our location throughout the day, often without our consent. That information can then be sold to anyone with a credit card, revealing sensitive information about us.
The Solution
The Location Shield Act would prohibit companies from selling, leasing, trading, or renting location data, safeguarding individuals’ sensitive personal information.
Under the bill, users would need to provide affirmative opt-in consent for collecting location information and have a clear means to opt out of location data processing for targeted advertising, and companies would be restricted from retaining location information longer than necessary for permissible purposes. Law enforcement would also need to obtain a warrant to access user location data from data brokers, closing a current loophole.
By implementing these protections, the Location Shield Act would significantly enhance privacy rights and data security for Massachusetts residents.
Contact Your Legislators
Find your legislators’ contact information here.
Dear Representative ___/Senator ___:
I’m writing today in support of the the Location Shield Act (H.86 / S.197), which would ban the sale of cell phone location data and protect the privacy rights of MA residents.
The sale of cell phone location data puts all of us at risk: Every day, companies collect and sell sensitive location information from cell phones, revealing not just where we seek health care – but where we live, work, and socialize, and where our children go to school and play.
We have an opportunity to protect the privacy, security, and personal safety of all MA residents.Can I count on you to co-sponsor this bill and build support among your colleagues for this critical bill?
Sincerely,
- Our location data has some of the most sensitive information about us. That’s not something that should be for sale. Let’s pass the Location Shield Act. #mapoli
- Given the national political climate, protecting privacy rights is more important than ever. That’s why we need to pass the Location Shield Act. #mapoli
- The Trump administration has been targeting people based on rally attendance. Banning the sale of cell phone location data is critical to protecting our First Amendment rights. #mapoli
- The #LocationShield Act is critical to protect people seeking abortion care or gender-affirming care. #mapoli
- Abusers, right-wing extremists, and bad bosses can all use cell phone location data to perpetrate and perpetuate harm. #mapoli
Write a Letter to the Editor
Adapt the template below! Or email us at issues@progressivemass.com for help!
To the Editor:
Every day, unregulated data brokers buy and sell personal location data from apps on our cellphones. This data can be used by extremists seeking to target people seeking abortion care or gender-affirming care, predatory bosses seeking to harass their workers, and domestic abusers seeking to track their victims.
Massachusetts has the opportunity to take action this session by passing the Location Shield Act, which would ban the sale, trade, and rental of cell phone location data. This legislation is vital to safeguarding privacy, protecting vulnerable individuals, and ensuring Massachusetts remains a safe haven for those seeking essential healthcare services.
Our location data reveals intimate details about our lives—where we live, work, and seek care. Currently, unregulated data brokers exploit this information for profit, selling it to anyone with a credit card. This practice endangers domestic abuse survivors, abortion patients, LGBTQ individuals, workers, and people exercising their basic First Amendment rights of protest.
Massachusetts has an opportunity to lead the nation with this comprehensive privacy protection. By passing this bill, we can stop the reckless commodification of our personal data and protect our fundamental rights like reproductive health access and freedom of movement. Urge your lawmakers to prioritize this commonsense legislation and make Massachusetts a model for privacy and safety.
Read More
- ACLU Massachusetts. “Stop the Sale of Cell Phone Location Data.” https://www.aclum.org/en/ban-sale-location-data.
- ACLU Massachusetts and Beacon Research. “Your Location: It’s None of Their Business.” Presentation. 2023. https://www.aclum.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/your_location_its_none_of_their_business_-_public_deck.pdf.
- Cyphers, Bennett. “How the Federal Government Buys Our Cell Phone Location Data.” Electronic Frontier Foundation. June 13, 2022. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/06/how-federal-government-buys-our-cell-phone-location-data.
- Gullo, Karen. “Location Data Tracks Abortion Clinic Visits. Here’s What to Know.” Electronic Frontier Foundation. March 15, 2024. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/03/location-data-tracks-abortion-clinic-visits-heres-what-know.
- Keegan, Jon and Alfred Ng. “There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data.” The Markup. September 30, 2021. https://themarkup.org/privacy/2021/09/30/theres-a-multibillion-dollar-market-for-your-phones-location-data.
Talking Points & Sample Tweets