STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7641
IN SENATE
February 3, 2020
___________
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
25 voice recognition feature or another person designated by such user to
26 perform the initial setup or installation of such connected television
27 or other connected device. A person who is incidentally recorded when a
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13112-01-9
S. 7641 2
1 voice recognition feature is activated by a user shall not be deemed to
2 be a user.
3 (e) "Voice recognition feature" means the function of a connected
4 television or other connected device with a voice recognition feature
5 that allows the collection, recording, storage, analysis, transmission,
6 interpretation, or other use of spoken words or other sounds, except
7 that this term shall not include voice commands that are not recorded or
8 transmitted beyond the connected television or other connected device
9 with a voice recognition feature.
10 (f) "Voice recorded data" means audio recordings or transcriptions of
11 such recordings collected through the operation of a voice recognition
12 feature by the manufacturer of a connected television or other connected
13 device with a voice recognition feature.
14 2. (a) No person or entity shall provide the operation of a voice
15 recognition feature within this state without prominently informing,
16 during the initial setup or installation of a connected television or
17 other connected device with a voice recognition feature, either the user
18 or the person designated by such user to perform the initial setup or
19 installation of such connected television or other connected device with
20 a voice recognition feature of such voice recognition feature.
21 (b) Any actual recordings or transcriptions collected through the
22 operation of a voice recognition feature by the manufacturer of a
23 connected television or other connected device with a voice recognition
24 feature for the purpose of improving the voice recognition feature,
25 including, but not limited to, the operation of an accessible user
26 interface for people with disabilities, shall not be used for any adver-
27 tising purpose, retained, or shared with, or sold to, a third party, or
28 both shared with, and sold to, a third party, unless the user first
29 provides affirmative written or electronic consent.
30 (c) Any actual recordings or transcriptions collected through the
31 operation of a voice recognition feature by a third party contracting
32 with a manufacturer for the purpose of improving the voice recognition
33 feature, including, but not limited to, the operation of an accessible
34 user interface for people with disabilities, shall not be used for any
35 advertising purpose, retained, or shared with, or sold to, a third
36 party, or both shared with, and sold to, a third party, unless the user
37 first provides affirmative written or electronic consent.
38 (d) No person or entity shall compel a manufacturer or other entity
39 providing the operation of a voice recognition feature to build specific
40 features for the purpose of allowing an investigative or law enforcement
41 officer to monitor communications through that feature.
42 (e) A manufacturer shall only be liable for functionality provided at
43 the time of the original sale of a connected television or other
44 connected device with a voice recognition feature and shall not be
45 liable for functionality provided by applications that the user chooses
46 to download and install or which are maintained and controlled at anoth-
47 er location by third party servers.
48 3. (a) Actions for relief pursuant to this section may be prosecuted
49 exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action
50 brought in the name of the people of the state of New York by the attor-
51 ney general. This section shall not be deemed to create a private right
52 of action, or limit any existing private right of action.
53 (b) A court of competent jurisdiction may enjoin any person or entity
54 who knowingly engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage, in a
55 violation of this section. Such court may make any orders or judgments
56 as may be necessary to prevent a violation of this section.
S. 7641 3
1 (c) A person who knowingly engages, has engaged, or proposes to
2 engage, in a violation of this section shall be liable for a civil
3 penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars for each
4 connected television or other connected device with a voice recognition
5 feature sold or leased in violation of this section.
6 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.