Federal judge whose son was killed in home attack cautions against weakening state data privacy laws
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey delivers remarks at a news conference in Newark, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2022. (Photo By Kyle Mazza/Sipa USA/Sipa via AP Images)
A federal judge whose son was killed while at home voiced concern Thursday about Congress potentially weakening state laws put in place to secure the personal online information of judges.
Daniel Anderl, the 20-year-old son son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of the District of New Jersey, was shot and killed in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer who came to her New Jersey home. Since then, she’s advocated stricter online protection of judges’ phone numbers and home addresses.
During an ABA conference in Boston, Salas was outspoken about two data privacy bills that Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee and the Energy & Commerce Committee had introduced: the GUARD Financial Data Act and the SECURE Data Act, according to coverage by Reuters.
Both bills would preempt state laws and require companies to limit consumer data collection, give consumers the right to request access to their data and request its deletion. In addition, people would not be able to sue for privacy violation.
In 2022, Congress enacted the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act to shield judges’ personal information online, which by contract, allows current and former judges, law enforcement and others to request private entities not disclose their data. Companies that do not comply can be sued for damages.
See also:
Federal judges warn of rising threats to safety of judiciary
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