Washington State Data Breach Notification Statute Updates Go Into Effect, Imposing New Requirements On Businesses

Effective March 1, 2020, amendments to the Washington State data breach notification statute made the law significantly more onerous for companies dealing with data security incidents. The amendments, which we first covered  in May 2019, expanded the definition of personal information, shortened the deadlines for notification, and imposed additional requirements for notice contents. As a result, more data security incidents may result in notification obligations, and businesses will have less time to comply. As the frequency and severity of data security incidents continues to increase, it is crucial that businesses – and their counsel – be aware of these new, more stringent rules.