Committee advances data‑portability cleanups to Utah’s Digital Choice Act
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Summary
Lawmakers adopted and favorably recommended first substitute HB408, a cleanup to last year's Digital Choice Act intended to clarify how users can export their social media data and how platforms accept or decline imported data; Project Liberty testified in support.
Representative (speaker 5) presented first substitute HB408 as a technical cleanup to the Digital Choice Act, saying the changes preserve the core right that Utahns own their social media data while making implementation more practical for platforms. The sponsor described limits in the substitute, including that users "can export only the data they want instead of everything," and that platforms are not forced to accept data they do not wish to import.
Matthew Lipko of Project Liberty (joining online from Washington, D.C.) said his organization supports the bill and commended the collaboration between technologists and the sponsor to make portability workable across technologies.
Representative Hansen voiced constitutional concerns about government dictating private‑sector service design, and the committee recorded two 'no' votes on the favorable recommendation. The committee adopted the first substitute and then voted 7–2 to favorably recommend HB408, with Representatives Hansen and Hawkins voting no.
If enacted, the changes would keep Utah’s Digital Choice framework in place while clarifying technical and consumer protections, timelines and safe harbors for platform implementation.