Privacy Law Status

Your Rights as an Alabama Resident

Since Alabama does not currently have a comprehensive privacy law, residents have limited statutory privacy rights compared to other states. However, the failed 2025 legislation would have provided the following rights if enacted:

• Right to know what data is collected – Businesses would have been required to disclose categories of personal information collected, sources of data, and purposes for processing
• Right to delete personal information – Consumers could have requested deletion of personal data that businesses collected about them
• Right to opt out of data sales – Residents would have had the ability to prevent businesses from selling their personal information to third parties
• Right to correct inaccurate data – Consumers could have requested corrections to incorrect personal information held by businesses
• Right to non-discrimination – Businesses would have been prohibited from discriminating against consumers for exercising their privacy rights

Currently, Alabama residents must rely on federal privacy laws like COPPA for children’s data and limited industry-specific protections, along with Alabama’s data breach notification law requiring companies to inform consumers when their personal information is compromised.

Business Requirements

Without a comprehensive privacy law in effect, Alabama businesses face minimal state-level data privacy requirements. The failed HB 283 would have imposed the following obligations:

• Privacy notices detailing data collection practices, processing purposes, and consumer rights would have been mandatory
• Response procedures for consumer requests within 45 days, including secure methods for submitting and processing rights requests
• Data protection assessments for high-risk processing activities including targeted advertising and sensitive data processing
• Consent requirements for processing sensitive personal information before collection or use

Practical Impact

• Limited daily privacy protection – Alabama residents cannot easily control how most businesses collect, share, or sell their personal information, unlike residents in states with comprehensive privacy laws
• Enforcement limitations – Without state privacy legislation, residents have few options for addressing privacy violations beyond federal protections and Alabama’s data breach notification requirements
• Notification gaps – While Alabama requires data breach notifications, businesses are not obligated to provide detailed information about routine data collection and sharing practices

Comparison Context

• Behind leading privacy states – Alabama lacks the comprehensive consumer rights available in California (CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), and other states with modern privacy legislation
• Missing key protections – Residents cannot opt out of targeted advertising, request data portability, or demand deletion of personal information as consumers can in states with comprehensive privacy laws
• Limited business accountability – Alabama businesses face fewer transparency requirements and oversight compared to companies operating in states with established privacy frameworks

Action Steps for Residents

• Contact state legislators to express support for comprehensive privacy legislation similar to HB 283
• Review privacy policies carefully before sharing personal information with businesses, as state law provides limited control over data use
• Use federal opt-out mechanisms like the National Do Not Call Registry and credit reporting opt-outs where available
• Monitor for data breaches and take protective action when Alabama’s breach notification law triggers company notifications
• Stay informed about future legislative sessions and opportunities for public input on privacy legislation

Official Resources and Contact Information

Alabama Legislature

The Alabama Legislature website provides information about current and proposed legislation, including future privacy bills. Citizens can track legislative progress and contact their representatives about privacy concerns.

Alabama Legislature: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/

Alabama House of Representatives: Phone (334) 242-7600

Alabama Senate: Phone (334) 242-7800

Finding Your State Representatives

To contact your specific state legislators about privacy legislation, use these official resources to identify representatives by district:

Find Your State Legislator: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/ (use the district lookup feature)

Madison County residents can also reference: https://www.madisonal.gov/340/State-Representatives

Attorney General’s Office

The Alabama Attorney General’s Office enforces consumer protection laws and has expressed interest in privacy issues, including recent action regarding social media location sharing concerns[9].

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall

Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-800-392-5658 or (334) 242-7335

Online complaint form available at: https://www.alabamaag.gov/general-contact/

Alabama Public Service Commission

For utility-related privacy concerns, the Alabama Public Service Commission handles consumer complaints:

Consumer Services: 1-800-392-8050 or (334) 242-5211

Online complaint form: https://psc.alabama.gov/file-a-complaint/

Legislative Contact for Future Privacy Bills

Citizens interested in supporting future privacy legislation should contact the House Committee on Commerce and Small Business, which handled HB 283, and the Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development. Contact information for committee members is available through the main legislative website and updated legislative directories.

Sources and Citations

Last Updated August 2025. Written with contributions from both human authors and Perplexity AI. If you find incorrect or outdated information let us know at support@optery.com.