David Rutigliano

TRUMBULL- With provisions that take effect this month, State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-123) hailed a law he helped craft in the 2023 legislative session that took numerous steps to protect minors from the dangers of the internet and social media.

“This legislation is in direct response to parents wanting greater privacy protections of their children’s data online. We want to make sure that children can explore the digital world safely without becoming targets for commercial exploitation,” said Rep. David Rutigliano, the Ranking Member of the General Law Committee.

The law, Public Act 23-56, which took effect on October 1^st, explicitly prohibits individuals that process a consumer’s personal data and have knowledge of, or willfully disregard, the age of their consumer from doing so for targeted advertising or to sell the data without the consumers consent when it comes to consumers between the ages of 13-15.

Also under this new law, a social media platform that receives a request from a minor, or the minor’s parent or legal guardian if the minor is under age 16, to unpublish the minor’s account is required to do so within 15 business days after receiving the request.

Lastly, the act establishes a framework and sets requirements for how controllers who offer online services, products, and features manage, process, and get consent to use the personal data of minors and requires controllers of consumer data with minor consumers to use reasonable care to avoid causing any heightened risk of harm to minors.

Under this new framework, data controllers with minor consumers were prohibited from taking certain actions without first getting the minor’s consent or, if the minor is younger than age 13, the minor’s parent or legal guardian’s consent. Such actions include collecting the minor’s precise geolocation data or processing their personal data or using any system design feature to significantly increase, sustain, or extend their use of an online service, product, or feature.

Connecticut’s new legislation reflects a growing national and global movement to prioritize the privacy rights of children as they engage with digital platforms. Advocates hope it will encourage more states to follow suit.