CMOR Warns on Maine Minors Law

In the state of Maine, USA, a new law aimed at protecting minors could impact any research organization that collects, analyzes or stores data on persons under 18 years of age, according to a warning today from industry advocate body CMOR, part of MRA.

The state's Prevent Predatory Marketing Practices Against Minors Act, which came into force on Saturday, prohibits any transfer of the minors' personally identifiable information, and could result in private lawsuits for any violation. It covers health-related and other personal information where it is personally identifiable, was collected for marketing purposes without verifiable parental consent or will be used for 'predatory marketing' purposes.

LaToya Lang, Counsel for CMOR, says researchers everywhere 'should check their data sets and research plans to ensure they comply with the strictures of this new law.' She continues: 'Although the Maine Attorney General has said she will not enforce the law, any violator is still potentially open to private civil suits, including those sharing data between companies as part of the research process'.

Lang says the law was passed with 'last-minute unconsidered changes' and that its sponsor 'seems to have confused research with marketing in her statements to the media.'

CMOR says it will work with Maine legislators and researchers to get the law clarified and protect the profession, and asks for MR practitioners based in the state to get in touch.

Web site: www.mra-net.org .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.