SPONSOR: |
Sen. Blevins & Rep. Schwartzkopf |
|
Sens.
Henry, Lopez, Marshall, Peterson; Reps. Briggs King, Keeley, Lynn, Matthews,
Miro, Osienski, Viola |
DELAWARE STATE SENATE 148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
SENATE SUBSTITUTE NO. 1 FOR SENATE BILL NO. 68 |
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 6 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ONLINE PRIVACY AND PROTECTION. |
Section 1. Amend Title 6 of the
Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as
shown by underline as follows:
Chapter 12C. Online and Personal Privacy
Protection.
§ 1201C. Short title.
This chapter shall be known and may be
cited as the “Delaware Online Privacy and Protection Act.”
§ 1202C. Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the
following definitions shall apply:
(1)
“Advertising service” means a person who provides, creates, plans, or handles
marketing or advertising for another person.
(2) “Book”
means paginated or similarly organized content in digital, electronic, printed,
audio, or other format, including fiction, nonfiction, academic, or other works
of the type normally published in a volume or finite number of volumes,
excluding serial publications such as a magazine or newspaper.
(3) “Book
service” means a service by which an entity, as its primary purpose, provides
individuals with the ability to rent, purchase, borrow, browse, or view books
electronically or via the Internet.
(4) “Book
service information” means all of the following:
a. Any
information that
identifies, relates to, describes, or is associated with a particular user.
b.
A unique identifier or Internet Protocol address, when that identifier or
address is used to identify, relate to, describe, or be associated with a
particular user or book, in whole or in partial form.
c.
Any information that relates to, or is capable of being associated with, a
particular user’s access to or use of a book service or a book, in whole or in
partial form.
(5) “Book
service provider” means any commercial entity offering a book service to the
public, except that a commercial entity that sells a variety of consumer
products is not a book service provider if its book service sales do not exceed
2 percent of the entity’s total annual gross sales of consumer products sold in
the United States.
(6) “Child”
or “children” means one or more individuals who are under the age of 18 and
residents of the State.
(7)
“Conspicuously available” means, with respect to a privacy policy required by
§ 1205C of this chapter, to make the privacy policy available to an
individual via the Internet by any of the following means:
a. A webpage
on which the actual privacy policy is posted if the webpage is the homepage or
first significant page after entering the website.
b. An icon
that hyperlinks to a webpage on which the actual privacy policy is posted, if
the icon is located on the homepage or the first significant page after
entering the website, and if the icon contains the word “privacy.” The icon shall also use a color that
contrasts with the background color of the webpage or is otherwise
distinguishable.
c. A text
link that hyperlinks to a webpage on which the actual privacy policy is posted,
if the text link is located on the homepage or first significant page after
entering the website, and if the text link includes the word “privacy,” is
written in capital letters equal to or greater in size than the surrounding
text, or is written in larger type than the surrounding text, or in contrasting
type, font, or color to the surrounding text of the same size, or set off from
the surrounding text of the same size by symbols or other marks that call
attention to the language.
d. Any other
functional hyperlink that is so displayed that a reasonable individual would
notice it.
e. With
respect to an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online
application, or mobile application that is not a website, any other reasonably
accessible and visible means of making the privacy policy available for users
of the Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application,
or mobile application.
(8) “Content”
means information of any kind, including but not limited to text, images,
audio, and video.
(9)
“Governmental entity” means any entity or instrumentality of the State, or any
political subdivision of the State, including but not limited to a law
enforcement entity or any agency, authority, board, bureau, commission,
department, or division, or any individual acting or purporting to act on
behalf of any such agency, authority, board, bureau, commission, department, or
division.
(10)
“Internet” means, collectively, the myriad of computer and telecommunications
facilities, including equipment and operating software, which comprise the
interconnected world-wide network of networks that employ the Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocols
to such protocol, to communicate information of all kinds by wire, radio, or
other methods of transmission.
(11)
“Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application directed to children” means any Internet website, online or
cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application that is
targeted or intended to reach an audience that is composed predominantly of
children. An Internet website, online or
cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application shall not be
deemed directed to children solely because it refers or links to another
Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application directed to children by using information location tools,
including a directory, index, reference, pointer, or hypertext link. In determining whether an Internet website,
online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application is
directed to children, the subject matter, visual or audio content, age of
models, language or other characteristics of the Internet website, online or
cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application are
relevant, as well as whether advertising promoting or appearing on the Internet
website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application is directed to children, together with any competent and reliable
empirical evidence regarding audience composition and intended audience of the
Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application.
(12) “Law
enforcement entity” means any government agency or any subunit thereof which
performs the administration of criminal justice pursuant to statute or executive
order, and which allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the
administration of criminal justice, including but not limited to the Delaware
State Police, all law-enforcement agencies and police departments of any
political subdivision of this State, the Department of Correction, and the
Department of Justice.
(13) “Market
or advertise” or “marketing or advertising” means making a communication or
arranging for a communication to be made, in exchange for compensation, about a
product or service the primary purpose of which is to encourage recipients of
the communication to purchase or use the product or service.
(14)
“Operator” means a person who owns an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application. It does not include any third party that operates, hosts, or manages,
but does not own, an Internet website, online or cloud computing service,
online application, or mobile application on the owner's behalf or processes
information on the owner's behalf.
(15)
“Personally identifiable information” meansany personally identifiable information about
a user of a commercial Internet website, online or cloud computing service,
online application, or mobile application that is collected online by the operator
of that commercial Internet website, online service, online application, or
mobile application from that user and maintained by the operator in an
accessible form, including a first and last name, a physical address, an e-mail
address, a telephone number, a social security number, or any other identifier
that permits the physical or online contacting of the user, and any other
information concerning the user collected by the operator of the commercial
Internet website, online service, online application, or mobile application
from the user and maintained in personally identifiable form in combination
with any identifier described in this paragraph.
(16) “Post”
means to communicate, transmit, or otherwise make available to any other person
via the Internet.
(17) “User”
means, for purposes of
§ 1204C and § 1205C of this chapter, an
individual that uses an Internet website, online or cloud computing service,
online application, or mobile application or, for purposes of § 1206C of this
chapter, an individual that uses a book service.
§ 1203C. Enforcement.
The
Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice has enforcement authority
over this chapter and may investigate and prosecute violations of this chapter
in accordance with the provisions of Subchapter II of Chapter 25 of Title 29 of
the Delaware Code.
§
1204C. Prohibitions on online marketing or advertising to a child.
(a) An
operator of an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application directed to children may not market or advertise a product or
service described in subsection (f) of this section on that Internet website,
online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application.
(b) An
operator of an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application who has actual knowledge that a child is using its Internet
website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application, and which user is that child, may not market or advertise a product or service
described in subsection (f) of this section to that child, if the marketing or
advertising is directed to the child based uponinformation specific to that child, including
the child's profile, activity, address, or location sufficient to establish
contact with the child, and excluding Internet Protocol (IP) address and
product identification numbers for the operation of a service. The operator
shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subsection if the operator takes
reasonable actions in good faith designed to avoid marketing or advertising a
product or service described in subsection (f) of this section.
(c) An
operator of an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application directed to children or an operator of an Internet website, online
or cloud computing service,
online application, or mobile application who has actual knowledge that a child
is using its Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application shall not knowingly use, disclose, or compile, or allow another
person to use, disclose, or compile, the personal information of the child if that operator has actual knowledge that the child’s
personally identifiable information will be used for the purpose of marketing
or advertising to the child a product or service described in subsection (f) of
this section.
(d) An
operator of an Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application directed to children, in which marketing or advertising is provided
by an advertising service, need not comply with subsection (a) of this section with respect to
such marketing or advertising and instead shall
notify the advertising service, in a manner directed by the advertising
service, that the Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile
application is directed to children.
(e) An
advertising service which provides marketing or advertising for an Internet
website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application directed to
children, and which has received the notice required by subsection (d) of this
section, may not market or advertise on the Internet website, online or cloud
computing service, online
application, or mobile application a product or service described in subsection
(f) of this section.
(f)
The marketing or advertising prohibitions described in this section shall apply
to the following products or services:
(1) Alcoholic liquor as defined in § 101 of Title
4.
(2) Tobacco
products, smokeless tobacco products, or moist snuff as defined in § 5301 of
Title 30.
(3) Tobacco
substitutes as defined in § 1115 of Title 11.
(4) Firearm
as defined in § 222 of Title 11, or ammunition for a firearm.
(5) Electronic control devices as defined in § 222
of Title 11.
(6) Fireworks
as defined in § 6901 of Title 16.
(7) Tanning
equipment or device or tanning facility as defined in § 3002D of Title 16.
(8) Dietary
supplement products containing ephedrine group alkaloids.
(9) Lottery,
Internet lottery, Internet table games, Internet ticket games, Internet video
lottery, sports lottery, table game, video lottery, or video lottery facility
as defined in § 4803 of Title 29.
(10) Salvia
divinorum or Salvinorin A, or any substance or material containing Salvia
divinorum or Salvinorin A as referenced in § 4714 of Title 16.
(11)
Body-piercing as defined in § 1114 of Title 11.
(12) Branding
as defined in § 1114 of Title 11.
(13) Tattoos
as defined in § 1114 of Title 11.
(14) Drug
paraphernalia as defined in § 4701 of Title 16.
(15)
Tongue-splitting as defined in § 1114A of Title 11.
(16) Any material, including any book, article,
magazine, publication, or written matter of any kind, drawing, etching,
painting, photograph, video, film, motion picture, or sound recording, which
predominately appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors,
is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole
with respect to what is suitable material for minors, and taken as a whole
lacks serious literary, artistic, political, social, or scientific value for
minors.
(g)
This section shall not be construed to require an operator of an Internet website,
online or cloud computing service, online application, or mobile application to collect age information
about users.
(h) The marketing and advertising restrictions described in subsections
(a) through (c) of this section shall not apply to the incidental placement of
products or services embedded in content if the content is not distributed by
or at the direction of the operator primarily for the purposes of marketing and
advertising a product or service described in subsection (f) of this section.
§ 1205C. Posting of privacy policy
by operators of commercial online sites
and services.
(a) An operator of a commercial
Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application that collects personally identifiable information through
the Internet about users residing in Delaware who use or visit the operator’s
commercial Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online
application, or mobile application shall make its privacy policy conspicuously
available on its Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online
application, or mobile application. An
operator shall be in violation of this subsection only if the operator fails to
make its privacy policy conspicuously available within 30 days after being
notified of noncompliance.
(b) The Consumer Protection Unit of the
Department of Justice shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement this
section as it deems necessary or appropriate, which shall include (i)
identifying the information required to be disclosed in a privacy policy
required by subsection (a) of this section, and (ii) making publicly available
specific language for privacy policies that shall be deemed to satisfy the
requirements of this section and the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant
to this section. Rules and regulations
promulgated by the Consumer Protection Unit shall give primary consideration to
the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among
any other states with laws similar to this section.
(c) An operator of a commercial
Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application that collects personally identifiable information through
the Internet website, online or cloud computing service, online application, or
mobile application from users of its Internet website, online or cloud
computing service, online application, or mobile application who reside in
Delaware shall be in violation of this section if the operator fails to comply
with the provisions of this section, rules and regulations promulgated pursuant
to subsection (b) of this section, or with the provisions of the operator’s
posted privacy policy either (i) knowingly and willfully or
(ii) negligently and materially.
§ 1206C. Privacy of information
regarding book service users.
(a) A book service provider shall not
knowingly disclose to any
government entity, or be compelled to disclose to any person, private entity, or government
entity, any book service information about a user to any person, except
under any of the following circumstances:
(1) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to a law
enforcement entity pursuant to any lawful method or process by which a law
enforcement entity is permitted to obtain such information.
(2) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to a
governmental entity other than a law enforcement entity only pursuant to either
(i) a court order issued by a duly authorized court with jurisdiction over
a matter that is under investigation by the governmental entity or (ii) a
court order in a pending action brought by or against the government entity,
and in either situation only if all of the following conditions are met:
a.
Prior to issuance of the court order, the governmental entity seeking
disclosure gives timely, reasonable, written notice of the proceeding to the
book service provider to allow the book service provider the opportunity to
appear and contest the issuance of the court order.
b.
The book service provider refrains from disclosing a user’s book
service information pursuant to the court order until it gives timely, reasonable, written notice of the proceeding to the
user about the issuance of the order and the ability to appear and quash
the order, and the user has been given a minimum of 35 days prior to disclosure
of the information within which to appear and quash the order.
(3) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to any person
who is not a governmental entity only pursuant to a court order in a pending
action brought by or against the person, and only if all of the following
conditions are met:
a. The court issuing the order finds that the person seeking
disclosure has a compelling interest in obtaining the book service information
sought.
b.
The court issuing the order finds that the book service information
sought cannot be obtained by the person seeking disclosure through less
intrusive means.
c. Prior to issuance of the court order, the person seeking disclosure
provides, in a timely manner, the book service provider with reasonable notice
of the proceeding to allow the book service provider the opportunity to appear
and contest the issuance of the court order.
d.
The book service provider refrains from disclosing a user’s book service
information pursuant to the court order until it provides, in a timely manner,
notice to the user about the issuance of the order and the ability to appear
and quash the order, and the user has been given a minimum of 35 days prior to
disclosure of the information within which to appear and quash the order.
(4) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to a person if
the user has given informed, affirmative consent in writing to the specific
disclosure to the specific person for a particular purpose.
(5) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to a law
enforcement entity if the law enforcement entity asserts, orally or in writing,
that there is an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury requiring
the immediate disclosure of the requested user’s book service information and
there is insufficient time to obtain a court order. Where the user’s book service information was
sought pursuant to this subsection by a law enforcement entity in a criminal
matter, the relevant law enforcement entity shall apply for a search warrant
within 48 hours. In the event such
application for approval is denied or such an application is not made, the
contents search shall be treated as having been obtained in violation of this
subchapter. Where the law enforcement
entity provided the book service provider only with an oral assertion, the law
enforcement entity seeking the disclosure shall provide the book service provider
with a written statement setting forth the facts giving rise to the imminent
danger of death or serious physical injury no later than 48 hours after seeking
disclosure.
(6) A book
service provider may disclose a user’s book service information to a law
enforcement entity if the book service provider in good faith believes that the
book service information is evidence directly related and relevant to a crime
against the book service provider or that user.
(b) A court issuing an order requiring
the disclosure of a user’s book service information may, in its discretion:
(1) Impose
appropriate safeguards against the unauthorized disclosure of book service
information by the book service provider and by the person seeking disclosure
pursuant to the order.
(2) Modify or
rescind a court order in a civil proceeding requiring the disclosure of a
user’s book service information upon a motion made by the user, the book
service provider, or the person seeking disclosure.
(c) A book service provider, upon the
written request of a law enforcement entity, shall take all necessary steps to
preserve records and other evidence in the book service provider’s possession
of a user’s book service information related to the use of a book or part of a
book, pending receipt of a request or demand for such information pursuant to
subsection (a) of this section. The book
service provider shall retain the records and evidence for a period of 90 days
from the date of the request by the law enforcement entity, which shall be
extended for an additional 90-day period upon a renewed written request by the
law enforcement entity.
(d) Violations.
(1)
Reasonable reliance by a book service provider on a warrant or court order for
the disclosure of a user’s book service information, or on any of the
enumerated exceptions to the confidentiality of a user’s book service
information set forth in this section, is a complete defense to any action for
a violation of this section.
(2) Except in
an action for a violation of this section, no evidence obtained in violation of
this section shall be admissible in any civil or administrative proceeding.
(e) Reporting requirements.
(1) Unless
disclosure of information pertaining to a particular request or set of requests
is specifically prohibited by law, a book service provider shall prepare a
report including all of the following information, to the extent it can be
reasonably determined:
a. The number
of federal and state warrants, federal and state grand jury subpoenas, federal
and state civil and administrative subpoenas, and federal and state civil and
criminal court orders, seeking disclosure of any book service information of a
user related to the access or use of a book service or book, received by the
book service provider from January 1 to December 31, inclusive, of the previous
year.
b. The number
of requests for information made with the informed consent of the user as
described in paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of this section, seeking
disclosure of any book service information of a user related to the access or
use of a book service or book, received by the book service provider from
January 1 to December 31, inclusive, of the previous year.
c. The number
of disclosures made by the book service provider pursuant to paragraphs (5) and
(6) of subsection (a) of this section from January 1 to December 31, inclusive,
of the previous year.
d. For each
category of demand or disclosure, the book service provider shall include all
of the following information:
1. The number
of times notice of a court order in a criminal, civil, or administrative action
has been provided by the book service provider and the date the notice was
provided.
2. The number
of times book service information has been disclosed by the book service
provider.
3. The number
of times no book service information has been disclosed by the book service
provider.
4. The number
of times the book service provider contested the demand.
5. The number
of times the user contested the demand.
6. The number
of users whose book service information was disclosed by the book service
provider.
7. The type
of book service information that was disclosed and the number of times that
type of book service information was disclosed.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, a book service provider is
not required to prepare a report pursuant to this section unless it has
disclosed book service information related to the access or use of a book
service or book of more than 30 total users consisting of users located in this
State or users whose location is unknown and cannot be determined or of both
types of users.
(3) The
reporting requirements of this subsection shall not apply to information
disclosed to a governmental entity that is made by a book service provider
serving a postsecondary educational institution when the book service provider
is required to disclose the information in order to be reimbursed for the sale
or rental of a book that was purchased or rented by a student using book
vouchers or other financial aid subsidies for books.
(4) A report
prepared pursuant to this subsection shall be made publicly available in an
online, searchable format on the book service provider’s website or before
March 31 of each year. If the book
service provider does not have a website, the book service provider shall post
the report prominently on its premises or send the report in both paper and
electronic format to the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice
on or before March 31 of each year.
(5) On or
before March 1 of each year, a book service provider subject to § 1205C of
this chapter shall complete one of the following actions:
a. Create a
prominent hyperlink to its latest report prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) of
this subsection in the disclosure section of its privacy policy applicable to
its book service.
b. Post the
report prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection of its website
explaining the way in which a user’s book service information and privacy
issues related to its book service are addressed.
c. State on its
website in one of the areas described in paragraphs a. and b. of this paragraph
(e)(5) that no report prepared pursuant to this subsection is available because
the book service provider is exempt from the reporting requirement pursuant to
paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(f) Nothing in this section shall
otherwise affect the rights of any person under the Delaware Constitution of
1897 or be construed as conflicting with the federal Privacy Protection Act of
1980 (42 U.S.C. § 2000aa et seq.).
Section
2. This Act becomes effective January 1 following its enactment into law.
Section 3. If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect any other provision or application of the Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application; and, to that end, the provisions of this Act are declared to be severable.
SYNOPSIS
This bill creates the Delaware Online Privacy and Protection Act, which expands the legal protections available under Delaware law to individuals, in particular children, relating to their online and digital activities. First, the bill prohibits the operator of an Internet service directed to children from marketing or advertising on its Internet service certain products or services deemed harmful to children. When the marketing or advertising on an Internet service directed to children is provided by an advertising service, the operator of the Internet service is required to provide notice to the advertising service, after which time the prohibition on marketing and advertising the specified products or services applies to the advertising service directly. The bill also prohibits an operator of an Internet service who has actual knowledge that a child is using the Internet service from using the child’s personally identifiable information to market or advertise the specified products or services to the child, and also prohibits such an operator from disclosing a child’s personally identifiable information if that operator has actual knowledge that the child’s personally identifiable information will be used for the purpose of marketing or advertising a specified product or service to the child. Second, the bill requires the operator of an Internet service to make its privacy policy conspicuously available on its Internet service if the Internet service collects personally identifiable information from Delaware residents for commercial purposes, and it requires the operator to comply with that privacy policy. The bill directs the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice to promulgate rules and regulations identifying the information required to be disclosed in privacy policies, and making publicly available specific language for privacy policies that will serve as a “safe harbor” for operators, and states that any such rules and regulations must give primary consideration to the need to promote uniformity of the law among other states with respect to privacy policy requirements. Third, this bill protects the personal information of users of digital book services and technologies by prohibiting a commercial entity which provides a book service to the public from disclosing personal information regarding users of the book service to law enforcement entities, governmental entities, or other persons, except under specified circumstances. Among other things, the bill allows immediate disclosure of a user’s book service information to law enforcement entities when there is an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury requiring disclosure of the book service information, and requires a book service provider to preserve a user’s book service information for a specified period of time when requested to do so by a law enforcement entity. The bill also requires a book service provider to prepare and post online an annual report on its disclosures of personal information, unless exempted from doing so. The bill gives the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice the authority to investigate and prosecute violations of the acts. This bill becomes effective January 1 following its enactment into law. The Act is substituted for Senate Bill No. 68 and differs from Senate Bill No. 68 by (1) revising proposed new § 1204C(a) to clarify that the restrictions on marketing or advertising applicable to an operator of an Internet service directed to children apply only to the operator’s Internet service directed to children and not to other Internet services the operator may have which are not directed to children; (2) revising proposed new § 1204C(b) to clarify that the intent of this subsection is that the restrictions on advertising to a child contained in the subsection apply when the operator has actual knowledge as to which specific user of the Internet service is the child; (3) revises proposed § 1204C(d) to clarify the obligations of an operator of an Internet website, online service, online application, or mobile application directed to children where marketing or advertising is provided by an advertising service; (4) deleting firearms training courses and BB guns from the list of products and services to which the marketing and advertising restrictions apply; (5) replacing “sexually-oriented material” on the list of products and services to which the marketing and advertising restrictions apply with a definition based on the definition of material “harmful to minors” in Delaware’s obscenity statute; (6) adding a new subsection to proposed § 1204C to clarify that the marketing and advertising restrictions do not apply to the incidental placement of products or services embedded in content, such as in movie clips or television shows, as long as the content was not distributed primarily for the purposes of marketing and advertising a prohibited product or service; (7) replacing proposed § 1205(b) with a new subsection directing the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice to promulgate rules and regulations identifying the information required to be disclosed in privacy policies, and making publicly available specific language for privacy policies that will serve as a “safe harbor” for operators, and states that any such rules and regulations must give primary consideration to the need to promote uniformity of the law among other states with respect to privacy policy requirements; (8) revising proposed § 1206C(a) to clarify the circumstances under which a book service provider may disclose a user's book service information to a person that is not a government entity; and (9) revising, adding, or deleting certain definitions. |
Author: Senator Blevins