A chance to protect our online privacy

Once upon a time, you could simply not answer the door when an unwanted solicitor came knocking. Then that phone rang relentlessly until “Do Not Call” legislation was adopted.

It’s no longer a solution to let the bell keep buzzing. The people who used to be on the other side of the door or phone call are already in the house. They are also following you everywhere else.

Our digital footprints follow us as closely as shadows. Pause to shop for sneakers and they will track you to sell similar ones. Binge watch a favorite show and similar programming will try to lure you.

They’ve been following us for a long time. So long that Connecticut lawmakers have taken five years to craft a remedy to let consumers see what personal data is tracked. They might have acted even sooner, but it was reasonable to assume this would be addressed by Congress.

A federal approach could more efficiently address delicate matters of commerce that crosses state borders. This isn’t quite the same as grappling over whether to toll trucks.

So Connecticut is following roads taken by California,

Virginia and Colorado, and learning some best practices.

This isn’t easy work, given regulatory laws. Remarkably, Connecticut’s state senators voted 35-0 to forward the bill to colleagues in the House of Representatives. If signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, it would make personal data visible to consumers, who would finally have the power to edit or delete it. And minors under age 16 would have to opt in for data to be collected.

For the first time, Big Brother wouldn’t be watching us through a one-way mirror.

Lawmakers praised Sen. James Maroney, D-Milford, for relentlessly pursuing this legislation.

“The genie is out of the bottle. It would be nearly impossible to put it back in,” said Maroney, who is co-chair of the General Law Committee. “What we’re doing today is simply saying that Connecticut residents have the right to know what data is being collected about them, how it is being used, and to ask companies ... not to sell their data.”

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, called it a “crisis of privacy in our country.”

“Crisis” makes it sound temporary. This problem will surely persist.

But Connecticut can learn a lot from this as it moves forward. Maroney proved Connecticut is capable of working outside state lines, as he consulted peers in other states on best practices.

Lawmakers need to continue being watchdogs on digital consumer protection issues, particularly as it relates to shielding children. This doesn’t let Congress off the hook either. This is the work that should have been done inside the Beltway, and our Congressional delegation would be wise to press forward.

The internet is fast. These next steps to corral it will be slow. If the legislation is passed, carriers will have until Jan. 1, 2025 to create privacy controls.

In the meantime, consumers should try to follow best practices as well, like resisting mixing business with pleasure on work devices. It’s reassuring to know who is on the other side of the door, but it also helps to keep some doors locked.

Our digital footprints follow us as closely as shadows.