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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Illinois enacts the Protecting Household Privacy Act

Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security State Issues State Legislation Illinois Consumer Protection Enforcement

Privacy, Cyber Risk & Data Security

Earlier this year, the Illinois governor signed HB 2553 to create the Protecting Household Privacy Act. Among other things, the act specifies when state law enforcement agencies may acquire and use data from household electronic devices. The act defines “household electronic data” as information or input provided by a person to a household electronic device that is capable of facilitating electronic communications. (A “household electronic device” excludes personal computing devices and digital gateway devices.) The act generally prohibits law enforcement agencies from obtaining household electronic data “or direct[ing] the acquisition of household electronic data from a private third party.” Exceptions to this prohibition include when a law enforcement agency first obtains a warrant, an emergency situation arises, or the owner of the household electronic device lawfully consents to the acquisition of the data. The act also states that it shall not “be construed to require a person or entity to provide household electronic data to a law enforcement agency,” except as provided under certain provisions outlined in Section 15. The act further requires entities disclosing household electronic data to “take reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of any household electronic data during transmission to any law enforcement agency, and to limit any production of household electronic data to information responsive to the law enforcement agency request.” Additionally, the act outlines information retention limits, which provide, among other things, that if a law enforcement agency obtains household electronic data and does not file criminal charges, it must destroy the data within 60 days unless subject to certain circumstances. The act is effective January 1, 2022.