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          Corean Reynold was recently appointed the Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, where she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering an equitable and thriving nightlife ecosystem.

          10/04/2023

          6:00pm - 7:30pm

          Roundhead Brewing Company

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Government Affairs
          2023 Government Affairs Forum: State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

          Don’t miss our upcoming Government Affairs Forum with Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. Register now!

          10/11/2023

          9:45am - 11:00am

          Bank of America

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          Talent
          MA Apprentice Network Fall Quarterly Event

          Learn about new ways of utilizing the professional apprenticeship model to create diverse, sustainable, and scalable talent pipelines.

          10/12/2023

          10:00am - 11:30am

          Edenred

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • EQ to Elevate Workplace Well-being

          Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
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          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
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          Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.

          09/12/2023 -

          09/16/2023

          Greater Boston

          arrow-go
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          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For nearly 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Chamber Submits Testimony on Data & Information Privacy Legislation

October 15, 2021

October 13, 2021

The Chamber believes protecting consumer data and privacy is paramount, but there are significant concerns about policy approaches that authorize private rights of action and create a second standard for entities covered under existing federal laws. Furthermore, instead of a state law, the Chamber prefers federal legislation to create a single, national standard.

The Chamber strongly opposes any legislation, including S. 46, that allows for a private right of action related to data use or privacy, particularly when the action would be coupled with potentially exorbitant awards like 0.15% of global revenue. Furthermore, there are vague and subjective terms that would create a maelstrom if private rights of action were to be litigated. For example, S. 46 prohibits covered entities from using personal information in a way that is “highly offensive” and that they must be “loyal to the individuals whose personal information is processed.” The vagueness of these terms, combined with the potential for tens of millions in awards, risks a tsunami of lawsuits.

In addition, several bills before the committee create a second standard for entities covered by federal data privacy and protection rules. Virginia’s recently adopted law includes more than 10 exemptions for entities already regulated under federal statute for data privacy and data security standards. For example, financial institutions are already required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act to provide data collection notice requirements, establish institutional privacy policies, and collect consumer third-party data processing consent, among additional requirements. Other instances in which the state should defer to federal law would include, but is not limited to, health information that already is required to be de-identified in accordance with HIPPA and public health data.

In general, and because of the issues described in this letter, the Chamber strongly prefers federal legislation for addressing consumer data protection and privacy. A single, national standard would make compliance simpler and avoid confusion for both covered entities and consumers about individual data rights.

Download the letter here.

Carolyn Ryan

Senior Vice President, Policy & Research

[email protected]
617-557-7310

Download the Letter

Download

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