Online companies amass vast troves of sensitive personal data about each of us through our internet activities. This information enables discriminatory practices—from predicting health outcomes to denying housing and employment opportunities to raising insurance premiums. It also facilitates targeted exploitation through predatory ads and scams. While many states are working to strengthen privacy protections, some proposed regulations risk limiting access to crucial online resources, particularly around reproductive healthcare, mental health support, and LGBTQ+ information. New Mexico lawmakers must chart a balanced course: enacting strong data protection measures while preserving access to vital online spaces and services.
Companies collect massive amounts of data about our lives.
Companies collect massive amounts of data about us all the time. It’s how they target us with ads that correspond directly to our prior searches, shopping history, and preferences. While this may seem convenient, this data can reveal sensitive information about our lives, including our health, our families, our financial status, our location, our beliefs, and more.
Companies use data about our lives to make discriminatory predictions.
The information companies collect (and sell to other data brokers) about our lives is used to make discriminatory predictions about health outcomes, improperly deny housing or jobs, hike insurance rates, flood people of color and low-income people with ads for predatory loans,and even target people seeking health care. These practices have serious consequences for our financial stability, health, quality of life, and civil rights, including our First Amendment rights.
How will the New Mexico Internet Privacy and Safety Act protect us?
By preventing companies from collecting and selling our personal information without our affirmative opt-in, this bill will help keep our personal data out of the hands of those who would use it to manipulate, harass, intimidate, criminalize, or discriminate against us. It also prevents the tracking of our online activity and precise location without our knowledge, which is particularly important for people in unsafe situations, like people experiencing abuse.
