At the time of writing, a divisive data privacy bill was still wending its way toward passage in Augusta. In limiting Maine businesses’ ability to seek out customers to advertise to online — hampering marketing as we know it today — the bill goes too far and it should not be made law.
A dubious change made before the Senate voted on it last Monday, which makes “political organizations” exempt— joining universities, health clinics and tax-exempt organizations — helpfully acknowledges the legislation’s downsides and its anticipated effects; negative effects.
“If we’re going to pass a law, we need to live by it, and that goes for my own political party,” were the wise words of Sen. Joe Baldacci.
Make no mistake, Maine needs a strong data privacy law. Federally, nothing is going on, meaning it falls to the state to get it right. If we get it wrong, we put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage. Businesses should not have to weather such a hit, as they have been telling lawmakers in large numbers.
Neither haste nor fear of artificial intelligence should drive us to limit day-to-day business activities — in this case, advertising — that we know, understand and rely on.
Editor’s note: The Maine Trust for Local News, of which this newspaper is a part, submitted testimony against LD 1822. Consider this our Baldacci moment.