Welcome to the latest edition of Voices of Reason where we’ll recap exclusive news and data featured in our most recent podcast.
This segment dives into the importance of data privacy and protecting consumer information with PA State Senator Tracy Pennycuick, Chair of the State Senate Communications and Technology Committee, sharing views and insights you want to know.
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PA State Senator Tracy Pennycuick emphasizes the growing need to protect consumer information amid rising data breaches, highlighting legislation she’s passed to ensure that, whether the source is “a government agency or a private entity that breaches your data,” affected consumers are automatically provided “a year of free credit monitoring” to guard against identity or credit theft. [Watch]
PA State Senator Tracy Pennycuick addresses concerns about a slippery slope from banning TikTok on government devices to potential consumer data protection overreach, acknowledging that “it is a Chinese-owned company that does data mine off your phone,” but asserting she believes that “if you know those are some of the risks, that is your decision.” [Watch]
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Data Protections
- House Bill 78, which would regulate the collection and use of consumers’ personal data, passed the Pennsylvania House and moves to the Senate; however, Congress has yet to pass any data privacy legislation, while 20 states have already enacted their own laws. [PAChamber]
- In 2024, Pennsylvania updated its Breach of Personal Information Notification Act, lowering the threshold for reporting data breaches from 1,000 to 500 affected residents, requiring businesses to notify the Attorney General when personal information is compromised. [AttorneyGeneral]
Voter Interests
- In July 2024, a data breach at the Pennsylvania State Education Association affected over 500,000 people, who were not notified until March 2025. [NBCPhiladelphia]
- In the U.S., 1.3 billion personal records were affected across 3,100 data breaches, with individuals receiving notification letters that their personal information had been compromised. [ITRC]
- The CommonWealth recommends 6 simple actions to protect your personal data and money online, including: don’t share personal info, create strong passwords, download/install cybersecurity software, investigate companies for reliability, only give personal info on encrypted sites, and avoid using public wifi. [CommonWealth]
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Data Privacy & Consumer Protections
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