New Jersey Reconsiders Data Broker Law With $1.5 Million Fees After Campaign Tech Backlash
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 24
New Jersey Reconsiders Data Broker Law With $1.5 Million Fees After Campaign Tech Backlash
1 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 24
Summary
$1.5 million annual registry fees and fines of up to $50,000 per record have pushed Gov. Mikie Sherill and New Jersey lawmakers to review a data broker law signed less than a month ago.
A-5328 was enacted just 48 hours after introduction during the budget rush, and political consultants say its broad definitions could pull in firms that handle voter files, ad targeting and other campaign data.
Democrats say the law was not meant to restrict political speech, while the Sherill administration plans enforcement guidance in coming months and the Legislature says it may clarify the text.
Republicans have seized on the dispute, arguing the rushed measure could disrupt voter outreach such as location-based ad targeting, while the state GOP says litigation remains possible.
Will steep new data registry fees silence civic outreach groups, or can regulators strike a balance before the 2027 deadline?
Could New Jersey’s aggressive new privacy law unintentionally bankrupt ordinary businesses by classifying routine data sharing as high-risk broker activity?
Does imposing million-dollar fees on data brokers actually protect consumer privacy, or merely turn personal information into a luxury commodity?