On Feb. 15, Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Chris Sprowls held a press conference to announce their support for legislation that would significantly increase data privacy and security regulation and create new rights for Florida consumers with respect to their personal information (PI).
House Bill 969 by Rep. Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota) would apply to any for-profit business that collects PI about Florida residents and satisfies one or more of the following thresholds: (a) has annual revenue over $25 million, (b) collects 50% or more of its revenue from selling or sharing PI, or (c) sells or shares the PI of 50,000 or more consumers or devices. If passed, the law will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.