Press Releases
01/28/2021
Attorney General Tong Seeks Update to Price Gouging and Data Breach Notification Statutes
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong testified today before the General Law Committee in support of two pieces of legislation sought by the Office of the Attorney General to strengthen the state’s price gouging and data breach notification statutes.Data Breaches
An Act Concerning Data Privacy Breaches, House Bill 5310, was sought by the Office of the Attorney General to update and strengthen Connecticut’s breach notification statute.
In 2005, Connecticut passed one of the nation’s first laws protecting consumers from online data breaches. Since then, technology and associated risks have evolved. The legislation seeks to broaden the definition of “personal information” to include additional categories such as medical information, online account information, passport numbers, military identification, and health insurance account numbers. The bill would also shorten the outside limit to which entities must notify individuals and the Office of the Attorney General of a security breach from 90 days to 60 days, which is in line with recent amendments passed in other states.
Click here to view Attorney General Tong’s testimony.
Price Gouging
An Act Concerning Price Gouging, House Bill 5307, was sought by the Office of the Attorney General to address shortcomings in the state’s existing price gouging statute. While the Office of the Attorney General received over 750 COVID-related price gouging complaints last year, limitations in existing price gouging statutes curtailed the state’s ability to crack down on some of the worst actors that sought to take advantage of severe shortages in protective equipment and essential goods.
Three shortcomings limited the statute’s effectiveness: it applies only to retail sales; it does not adequately define price gouging; and it does not clearly state that it applies to leases and rental items. New legislation sought by Attorney General Tong seeks to address each of those shortcomings and strengthen the state’s ability to protect consumers.
Click here to view Attorney General Tong’s testimony.
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov