WASHINGTON – March 29, 2023 – Matthew Lenz, Senior Director of State Advocacy at BSA | The Software Alliance, released the following statement on today’s enactment of the Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act (SF 262).

“The enterprise software industry appreciates that Iowa has joined the growing number of states focusing on the important issue of consumer data privacy. Transparency, clarity, and confidence in how personal data will be used are important to consumers and companies alike.

Iowa’s new law includes the important distinction between companies that control consumer data and companies that process consumer data. That distinction ensures that a privacy law can impose appropriate responsibilities on both parties, which helps safeguard data privacy without creating new security risks.

As states continue to propose and enact privacy laws, policymakers should create strong protections that ensure consumers’ personal data is used in ways they expect. BSA is working with state legislatures across the country on this important issue, and we urge Congress to draw upon the progress made in states like California, Colorado, Virginia, and Utah to create a clear and modern national privacy law with high privacy standards.”

To learn more about the importance of clear obligations for companies that handle consumer data, read Consumer Rights to Access, Correct, and Delete Data: A Processor’s Role.