In the third episode of our Legislating Data Privacy series, we talk with Washington Representative Shelley Kloba.

If you follow proposed state privacy legislation, you know that Washington state is at its epicenter. For the past three years, the Washington legislature has considered – but failed to pass – the Washington Privacy Act. Representative Kloba is a central figure in this debate.

In 2021, she authored HB 1433 – the People’s Privacy Act – a rival bill to the Washington Privacy Act. The People’s Privacy Act would have required opt-in consent for the processing of personal data, created an Illinois-like biometric information privacy structure, and allowed for a private right of action. Representative Kloba also proposed five amendments to the Washington Privacy Act before it failed in the House.

In our interview, Representative Kloba discusses her bill and the Washington Privacy Act, including the tensions between the Washington Senate and House. She also tackles numerous related issues such as her view on how privacy laws should be enforced and what types of provisions they should contain.

Click here to listen to the full interview.