Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated a significant data privacy and security program, establishing a dedicated team to enforce Texas privacy laws rigorously. This initiative, part of the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), aims to ensure that companies respect Texans' privacy rights and protect their personal data. The newly formed team is expected to be one of the largest in the nation focused on enforcing privacy regulations.
The data privacy team will concentrate on enforcing various Texas laws such as the Data Privacy and Security Act, the Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, the Data Broker Law, the Biometric Identifier Act, and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Additionally, it will uphold federal laws including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
"Any entity abusing or exploiting Texans’ sensitive data will be met with the full force of the law. Companies that collect and sell data in an unauthorized manner, harm consumers financially, or use artificial intelligence irresponsibly present risks to our citizens that we take very seriously. As many companies seek more and more ways to exploit data they collect about consumers, I am doubling down to protect privacy rights," said Attorney General Paxton. "With companies able to collect, aggregate, and use sensitive data on an unprecedented scale, we are strengthening our enforcement of privacy laws to protect our citizens."