The Colorado Automobile Dealers Association is working to understand what the new law will mean for auto retailers in the state, including the extent to which dealerships have to comply or are exempt, what information is covered and what actions will be required, said Matthew Groves, the association’s vice president of legal, regulatory and compliance.
The association will provide training before the law takes effect, though dealerships should start a data assessment now, including of what information they share with third-party vendors, Groves said.
Compliance experts and attorneys who specialize in data privacy told Automotive News that forthcoming details about how the laws will be interpreted and enforced in the states likely will provide more clarity around their potential impact.
Efforts to enact state-level privacy laws have picked up steam. The International Association of Privacy Professionals, a membership association that tracks state legislation, has noted an increasing number of states with bills under consideration in recent years. Aside from California, Virginia and Colorado, which have passed laws, at least 20 states had legislation on the table this year, according to the association’s tracker.
“The fact that there are nuances across these state laws is what is driving industry to call for and increasingly demand a federal privacy law because no one these days is operating within the corners of a single state,” said Caitlin Fennessy, the association’s chief knowledge officer.


