Preparing for the Florida Digital Bill of Rights: What Companies Need to Know and Do

As the July 1, 2024 deadline for the Florida Digital Bill of Rights approaches, businesses in Florida, especially large technology companies, are gearing up to comply with the new law. The Florida Digital Bill of Rights, unlike many other state privacy laws, targets entities that generate significant revenue from online ads, operate online app stores with a large number of apps, operate smart speakers connected to the cloud, and companies with over $1 billion in revenue doing business in Florida.

The law aims to give consumers greater control over their personal information and hold businesses accountable for responsible data-handling practices. Jeffrey Bernstein, director of cybersecurity and data privacy at Kaufman Rossin, emphasizes the importance of companies identifying the data they collect, understanding how it is used, crafting clear privacy notices, obtaining consent for sensitive data, implementing strong safeguards, establishing processes for rights requests, setting data retention limits, and reviewing agreements with data processors.

The Florida Digital Bill of Rights is a significant development in the evolution of privacy legislation and may set the standard for other Florida regulators to enforce general privacy principles. Companies in Florida are advised to embrace the law, re-evaluate their data practices, and adopt agile frameworks to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. By doing so, they can ensure compliance and long-term success in a world where privacy is increasingly important.