Maryland Legislature considers online privacy bill. AG says resources needed to enforce.

A sponsor of legislation that is now being considered by the Maryland General Assembly and designed to protect residents’ privacy online called the current data environment in the United States “almost like the Wild Wild West.” The bill, backed by state Sen. Arthur Ellis, D-Charles, and others, requires only personal data that is “reasonably necessary” be collected for a specific product or service as requested by a consumer. That “data” can sometimes be as personal as someone’s own fingerprint or face.