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District of Columbia Data Privacy Laws: Breach Rules & Consumer Rights (2026)

Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 14, 2026). · Reviewed by the RecordingLaw editorial team. · Law checked current as of August 14, 2026. · 22 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content

District of Columbia Data Privacy Laws: Breach Rules & Consumer Rights (2026)

Updates

Corrected the citation for the cumulative rights-and-remedies rule to D.C. Code Section 28-3853(c), cited Section 28-3852.02 for the 18-month identity theft protection duty, dated the Blackbaud settlement to October 2023, and corrected the Google Play settlement's final approval to the August 18, 2026 judgment (April 30, 2026 was the fairness hearing).

Updated the Google Play Store settlement status to reflect final court approval on April 30, 2026 (it previously showed only the November 2025 preliminary approval), and fixed a dead link on the D.C. Code Section 38-831.03 citation.

Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources; governing law re-checked for recent changes

Added genetic information and DNA profile data, a data element D.C. Code Section 28-3851 lists separately from medical information, to the personal-information definition list, which had omitted it.

Added D.C. Code 28-3851's separate 'genetic information and DNA profile' personal-information category to the KeyTakeaways summary and FAQ answer, which still omitted it after the article body was corrected.

Governing law re-checked for recent changes

May 2026 refresh: Added DC Recording and Wiretap Law section (D.C. Code § 23-542 one-party consent rule, penalties, civil liability). Expanded enforcement section with Google $9.5M location tracking settlement (AG Racine, 2022), Google Play Store $700M settlement (AG Schwalb, 2023), and DC v. Meta/Zuckerberg Cambridge Analytica case status (revived Aug 2025; Zuckerberg motion to dismiss denied May 2026). Added TAKE IT DOWN Act (Pub. L. 119-12) federal overlay sub-section with FTC enforcement live as of May 19, 2026. Updated CHIPPA status: B25-0930 died in 25th Council without passing; added 26th Council bills B26-0525 and B26-0670. Updated $50M enforcement figure to $906.8M total (2025 Impact Report). Added four new FAQ entries on recording consent, TAKE IT DOWN Act, filing complaints, and pending bill status. Updated meta description and KeyTakeaways to reflect TAKE IT DOWN Act and one-party consent additions. Old meta: 'District of Columbia data privacy laws require breach notification under D.C. Code 28-3851 to 28-3853, reasonable security safeguards, and student digital privacy protections.'

Reviewed and approved by an editor

Sources and References

  1. D.C. Code Section 28-3851: Definitions(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  2. D.C. Code Section 28-3852: Notification of Security Breach(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  3. D.C. Code Section 28-3852.01: Security Requirements(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  4. D.C. Code Section 28-3852.02: Remedies(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  5. D.C. Code Section 28-3853: Enforcement(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  6. D.C. Law 23-98: Security Breach Protection Amendment Act of 2020(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  7. D.C. Code Chapter 39: Consumer Protection Procedures Act(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  8. D.C. Code Section 28-3909: Restraining Prohibited Acts(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  9. D.C. Law 21-218: Protecting Students Digital Privacy Act of 2016(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  10. D.C. Code Section 38-831.02: Operator Obligations(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  11. D.C. Code Section 38-831.04: Student Account Privacy(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  12. DC AG: Consumer Alert on Online Privacy(oag.dc.gov).gov
  13. DC AG: Blackbaud Settlement(oag.dc.gov).gov
  14. DC AG: CHIPPA Introduction(oag.dc.gov).gov
  15. OSSE: Student Privacy Policy(osse.dc.gov).gov
  16. FTC: Privacy and Security Enforcement(ftc.gov).gov
  17. D.C. Code § 23-542: Interception, Disclosure, and Use of Wire or Oral Communications Prohibited(code.dccouncil.gov).gov
  18. DC Attorney General: AG Racine Announces Google Must Pay $9.5 Million for Deceptive Location Tracking (2022)(oag.dc.gov).gov
  19. DC Attorney General: Schwalb Announces $700 Million Multistate Settlement With Google (2023)(oag.dc.gov).gov
  20. DC Attorney General: AG Racine Sues Mark Zuckerberg for Cambridge Analytica Privacy Failures(oag.dc.gov).gov
  21. DC Attorney General: 2025 Impact Report(oag.dc.gov).gov
  22. DC Council LIMS: B25-0930 Consumer Health Information Privacy Protection Act (25th Council)(lims.dccouncil.gov).gov
  23. In re Google Play Consumer Antitrust Litigation, No. 3:20-cv-05761 (N.D. Cal.): Docket (final judgment entered Aug. 18, 2026)(courtlistener.com)
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