Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued letters notifying over one hundred companies of their apparent failure to register as data brokers with the Texas Secretary of State, as required by the newly enacted Data Broker Law.
Chapter 509 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code mandates that data brokers—companies involved in buying, selling, trading, and processing individuals’ personal data—publicly register with the Texas Secretary of State by March 1, 2024. The law also imposes penalties on those who fail to comply and requires data brokers to implement safeguards to protect Texans' data.
“Data brokers collect and store sensitive personal data, such as financial, healthcare, and geolocation information,” said Attorney General Paxton. “My office takes Texans’ privacy seriously. We are taking action to ensure that companies comply with our new data broker law, as well as other Texas consumer protection and privacy laws.”
This action follows Attorney General Paxton’s establishment of a specialized team dedicated to enforcing Texas privacy laws. The team is housed within the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and will ensure companies respect Texans’ privacy rights and safeguard their personal data.