Maine is on the verge of enacting one of the strongest consumer privacy laws in the United States. The Maine Online Data Privacy Act, modeled after Maryland's landmark legislation, would give residents sweeping control over their personal data — including strict limits on how businesses can collect and use sensitive information. Here is everything you need to know about privacy protections in Maine and how to safeguard your data today.
The Maine Online Data Privacy Act (LD 1822)
In 2025, Maine legislators introduced LD 1822, the Maine Online Data Privacy Act, a comprehensive privacy bill that closely mirrors Maryland's Online Data Privacy Act — widely considered one of the most consumer-friendly privacy laws in the country.
The bill passed the Maine House of Representatives and was sent back to the Senate for concurrence on amendments. If enacted, it would take effect on July 1, 2026, making Maine one of more than 20 states with comprehensive data privacy protections.
Key Consumer Rights Under LD 1822
The Maine Online Data Privacy Act would grant residents the following rights:
- Right to confirm and access: You can ask any covered business whether they are processing your personal data and obtain a copy of that data.
- Right to correct: You can request that a business fix inaccurate personal data they hold about you.
- Right to delete: You can request deletion of your personal data.
- Right to data portability: You can obtain your data in a readily usable format to transfer to another service.
- Right to opt out: You can opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of your personal data, and certain types of automated profiling.
Strict Limits on Data Collection
What makes LD 1822 particularly strong is its approach to data minimization. The bill would:
- Bar all processing of sensitive data that is not strictly necessary to provide a specific product or service the consumer requested
- Prohibit the sale of sensitive data entirely
- Require businesses to limit collection to only the data reasonably necessary for the disclosed purpose
This goes further than many other state laws, which allow broader use of sensitive data with consumer consent.
What Counts as Sensitive Data?
Under LD 1822, sensitive data includes racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health diagnoses, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, genetic or biometric data, children's data, and precise geolocation information. Businesses would be prohibited from processing this data unless strictly necessary for the service you requested.
Children's Privacy Protections
LD 1822 includes robust protections for minors:
- Parental consent required before processing data of children under 13
- Targeted advertising prohibited for children between 13 and 16
- Sale of minors' data prohibited
Enforcement
The Maine Attorney General would have exclusive enforcement authority. Violations would be treated as unfair trade practices under Maine's Unfair Trade Practices Act. There would be no private right of action, meaning individual consumers could not sue businesses directly but could file complaints with the AG's office.
Existing Maine Privacy Protections
Even before LD 1822, Maine has several privacy-related protections already in force:
Maine's ISP Privacy Law (2019)
Maine was a pioneer in internet privacy with An Act to Protect the Privacy of Online Customer Information, enacted in 2019. This law prohibits internet service providers from using, disclosing, selling, or permitting access to customer personal information without express opt-in consent. It was the first state law of its kind and remains one of the strongest ISP privacy protections in the country.
Data Breach Notification
Maine's data breach notification law (10 M.R.S. § 1346 et seq.) requires businesses to notify affected residents and the state regulator when personal information is compromised. Notifications must be made as quickly as practicable but no later than 30 days after discovering the breach.
Student Data Privacy
Maine's Student Information Privacy Act restricts how educational technology companies can use student data, prohibiting the sale of student information and targeted advertising to students.
The Law Is Not Yet Final
As of early 2026, LD 1822 has passed the House but requires Senate concurrence on amendments before heading to the Governor's desk. Legislative timelines can shift, so check the Maine Legislature's website for the latest status. Until the law is signed and takes effect, Maine residents should use the tools already available to protect their privacy.
How to Protect Your Privacy in Maine Today
Whether or not LD 1822 becomes law on schedule, you can take immediate steps to protect your personal data:
- Search for yourself online. Google your name and check people search sites to see what personal information is exposed. Pay attention to sites like Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified, and TruePeopleSearch.
- Submit opt-out requests. Each data broker has an opt-out process. Visit their privacy pages and request removal of your records. Be prepared to verify your identity.
- Leverage your ISP privacy rights. Maine's ISP privacy law means your internet provider cannot sell your browsing data without your explicit consent. Make sure you have not inadvertently opted in.
- Freeze your credit. Place free credit freezes at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to prevent identity thieves from opening accounts in your name.
- Enable Global Privacy Control. Use a browser or extension that supports GPC to automatically signal your opt-out preferences to websites.
- Use a data removal service. Manually opting out of every data broker takes dozens of hours and requires constant monitoring. PrivacyOn automates the entire process — removing your data from 100+ broker sites, re-submitting requests when you get re-listed, and monitoring the dark web for leaks of your personal information. Plans start at $8.33 per month.
Maine is moving in the right direction on privacy, but legislation alone cannot keep up with the hundreds of data brokers that profit from your personal information. Taking action today — whether on your own or with help from PrivacyOn — ensures your data is protected no matter what happens in Augusta.