Vermont's legislature, which is controlled by the Democratic Party, has approved a comprehensive data privacy law that is among the toughest in the nation. The law is designed to address the misuse of online personal data by companies, allowing consumers to take legal action against companies that violate specific privacy regulations.

The law makes it illegal to sell important information like social security and drivers' license numbers, financial or health details. It also puts restrictions on how much personal data companies can gather and utilize, as reported by the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C.

The legislation contains components from past laws that were designed to safeguard children.