At ECACUSA, we continue to monitor the expanding landscape of state privacy legislation across the United States. Rhode Island has now joined this movement by passing a comprehensive consumer privacy law that introduces new rights for residents and new obligations for organizations that collect or process personal data.
Rhode Island’s law reflects the broader national shift toward transparency, accountability, and consumer control over personal information, all of which directly influence customer trust and experience.
What Is Rhode Island’s New Privacy Law
Rhode Island enacted the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act, a comprehensive statute that governs how businesses collect, use, and share personal data belonging to Rhode Island residents.
The law applies to organizations that conduct business in Rhode Island or target Rhode Island residents and that meet defined thresholds related to the volume of personal data processed or revenue derived from data practices.
The law started January 1, 2026.
Key consumer rights include:
- The right to access personal data
- The right to correct inaccurate personal data
- The right to delete personal data
- The right to obtain a portable copy of personal data
- The right to opt out of targeted advertising, the sale of personal data, and certain profiling activities
What Businesses Are Required to Do
Organizations subject to the law must implement reasonable and transparent data practices, including:
- Providing clear and accessible privacy notices
- Limiting personal data collection to what is necessary and relevant
- Implementing reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security safeguards
- Conducting data protection assessments for processing activities that present elevated risk
- Responding to consumer rights requests within required timeframes
Enforcement authority lies exclusively with the Rhode Island Attorney General, and the law does not provide a private right of action for consumers.
Why This Matters for Customer Experience
Privacy has become a defining element of customer trust. Customers increasingly expect organizations to be transparent about how their data is used and to respect individual choice.
Rhode Island’s law reinforces the expectation that privacy should be integrated into the customer journey. Organizations that treat privacy interactions as part of the experience, rather than as a compliance task, can strengthen loyalty and reduce friction.
The Impact on AI and Data Driven Operations
As organizations expand the use of AI, analytics, and personalization, Rhode Island’s privacy law highlights the importance of responsible data governance. Automated decision making and profiling that significantly affect consumers are subject to opt out rights, and sensitive data requires additional safeguards.
Strong data governance improves not only compliance but also AI performance, accuracy, and fairness. Well managed data supports more reliable and trustworthy AI driven customer experiences.
What ECACUSA Members Should Do Now
- Determine whether your organization meets Rhode Island’s applicability thresholds
- Review and update privacy notices and consent mechanisms
- Map personal data flows across systems, vendors, and partners
- Prepare operational processes to handle consumer data requests efficiently
- Align AI and analytics initiatives with privacy by design principles
The Bottom Line
Rhode Island’s new privacy law adds another layer to the growing state level privacy framework in the United States. While this increases compliance complexity, it also presents an opportunity to strengthen customer trust through transparency and responsible data practices.
At ECACUSA, we encourage members to view privacy compliance as a foundation for strong customer experience. Organizations that integrate privacy into their data and CX strategies will be better positioned as regulations continue to evolve.
