Source: https://www.hunton.com/privacy-and-cybersecurity-law-blog/virginia-bans-sale-of-geolocation-data
Publisher: Hunton Andrews Kurth (Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog)
Date Published: April 16, 2026
Relevant To: State geolocation data sale bans; comparative legislative models (OR/MD/VA)
Verification Status: Verified
Notes: Confirmed via full-text fetch, from Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog (major law firm, reliable legal-industry source). Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed S.B. 388 on April 13, 2026, amending the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) to prohibit the sale of geolocation data, effective July 1, 2026. Note the VCDPA defines “sale” narrowly (exchange for monetary consideration only), unlike Maryland and Oregon’s broader definitions covering monetary OR other valuable consideration — meaning Virginia’s ban may be easier to circumvent via non-monetary data-sharing arrangements. Virginia joins Maryland and Oregon in banning geolocation data sales; similar bills are pending in California (AB-322), Massachusetts (S.197), Vermont (S.71), and Washington (HB 1671). Context: follows the CA Attorney General’s March 2025 investigation into the location data industry and a 2024 FTC settlement banning a data broker from selling precise geolocation data. Useful comparative/legislative-model source for BPA’s data broker tracking and any future Oregon geolocation-privacy advocacy — worth confirming exactly how Oregon’s existing geolocation sale ban (referenced here) compares to Virginia’s narrower definition.