Privacy Question Placed on North Dakota Ballot
North Dakota voters next year will decide whether banks and other financial institutions will have to get their permission before sharing their personal data with third parties.
Specifically, they will decide whether a new financial privacy law that went into effect on July 1, authorizing them to opt out from having their information shared, will be repealed or stay on the books.
The old law required that North Dakotans opt in–that is give permission before financial institutions could share their personal financial information with affiliates and third parties.
The measure (SB-2191), was passed last spring. It was sponsored by three Republicans–State Senators Karen Krebsbach and John Traynor, and Governor John Hoeven.
However, a group called Protect Our Privacy launched a petition drive that would have voters decide whether the law stays or is repealed.
Tuesday, Secretary of State Al Jaeger cleared the way for the question to be submitted to voters when he ruled that 13,824 of the 14,408 signatures on the group’s petition were valid enough to place the matter on the ballot. A minimum of 12,844 signatures were needed.
Jaeger’s ruling clearing the way for the question to be placed on the ballot in the June primary unless the Gov. Hoeven calls for a special election, which so far is not in the offing, before then.
