Bill Text: NY S00514 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires manufacturers of smart speakers to obtain signed written permission from users before storing voice recordings.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION [S00514 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S00514-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 514 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 4, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. THOMAS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring manufacturers of smart speakers to obtain permission from users before storing recordings The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 2 349-b-2 to read as follows: 3 § 349-b-2. Recordings by smart speakers. 1. For the purposes of this 4 section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 5 (a) "Connected television" means a video device designed for home use 6 to receive television signals and reproduce such signals on an inte- 7 grated, physical screen display that exceeds twelve inches, except that 8 this term shall not include a personal computer, portable device, or a 9 separate device that connects physically or wirelessly to a television, 10 including, but not limited to, a set-top box, video game console, or 11 digital video recorder. 12 (b) "Other connected device with a voice recognition feature" means 13 any device equipped with a voice recognition feature sold in this state, 14 including, but not limited to, a wireless speaker and voice command 15 device sold in this state with an integrated virtual assistant that 16 offers interactive actions and hands-free activation, or a cellular 17 telephone, tablet, or other device sold in this state with an integrated 18 virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and hands-free acti- 19 vation. 20 (c) "Retained" means saving, storing, or both of voice recorded data 21 longer than the minimum time necessary to complete a requested command 22 by the user. 23 (d) "User" means a person who originally purchases, leases, or takes 24 ownership of a connected television or other connected device with a EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD01660-01-3S. 514 2 1 voice recognition feature or another person designated by such user to 2 perform the initial setup or installation of such connected television 3 or other connected device. A person who is incidentally recorded when a 4 voice recognition feature is activated by a user shall not be deemed to 5 be a user. 6 (e) "Voice recognition feature" means the function of a connected 7 television or other connected device with a voice recognition feature 8 that allows the collection, recording, storage, analysis, transmission, 9 interpretation, or other use of spoken words or other sounds, except 10 that this term shall not include voice commands that are not recorded or 11 transmitted beyond the connected television or other connected device 12 with a voice recognition feature. 13 (f) "Voice recorded data" means audio recordings or transcriptions of 14 such recordings collected through the operation of a voice recognition 15 feature by the manufacturer of a connected television or other connected 16 device with a voice recognition feature. 17 2. (a) No person or entity shall provide the operation of a voice 18 recognition feature within this state without prominently informing, 19 during the initial setup or installation of a connected television or 20 other connected device with a voice recognition feature, either the user 21 or the person designated by such user to perform the initial setup or 22 installation of such connected television or other connected device with 23 a voice recognition feature of such voice recognition feature. 24 (b) Any actual recordings or transcriptions collected through the 25 operation of a voice recognition feature by the manufacturer of a 26 connected television or other connected device with a voice recognition 27 feature for the purpose of improving the voice recognition feature, 28 including, but not limited to, the operation of an accessible user 29 interface for people with disabilities, shall not be used for any adver- 30 tising purpose, retained, or shared with, or sold to, a third party, or 31 both shared with, and sold to, a third party, unless the user first 32 provides affirmative written or electronic consent. 33 (c) Any actual recordings or transcriptions collected through the 34 operation of a voice recognition feature by a third party contracting 35 with a manufacturer for the purpose of improving the voice recognition 36 feature, including, but not limited to, the operation of an accessible 37 user interface for people with disabilities, shall not be used for any 38 advertising purpose, retained, or shared with, or sold to, a third 39 party, or both shared with, and sold to, a third party, unless the user 40 first provides affirmative written or electronic consent. 41 (d) No person or entity shall compel a manufacturer or other entity 42 providing the operation of a voice recognition feature to build specific 43 features for the purpose of allowing an investigative or law enforcement 44 officer to monitor communications through that feature. 45 (e) A manufacturer shall only be liable for functionality provided at 46 the time of the original sale of a connected television or other 47 connected device with a voice recognition feature and shall not be 48 liable for functionality provided by applications that the user chooses 49 to download and install or which are maintained and controlled at anoth- 50 er location by third party servers. 51 3. (a) Actions for relief pursuant to this section may be prosecuted 52 exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action 53 brought in the name of the people of the state of New York by the attor- 54 ney general. This section shall not be deemed to create a private right 55 of action, or limit any existing private right of action.S. 514 3 1 (b) A court of competent jurisdiction may enjoin any person or entity 2 who knowingly engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage, in a 3 violation of this section. Such court may make any orders or judgments 4 as may be necessary to prevent a violation of this section. 5 (c) A person who knowingly engages, has engaged, or proposes to 6 engage, in a violation of this section shall be liable for a civil 7 penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars for each 8 connected television or other connected device with a voice recognition 9 feature sold or leased in violation of this section. 10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
