Montana Data Privacy: A Plain-Language Overview

Montana Consumer Data Privacy Act

Status: Effective October 1, 2024

Montana enacted a comprehensive data privacy law granting residents the right to access, correct, and delete their personal data held by businesses. The law establishes guidelines for data processing transparency and data breach notification requirements.

Rights residents generally have

• access to confirm if data is processed
• access to specific personal data
• correction of inaccurate data
• deletion of personal data
• opt-out of the sale of personal data
• opt-out of targeted advertising
• data portability

Who it generally applies to

Applies to for-profit entities that conduct business in Montana or produce products/services targeted to residents, and control or process personal data of 100,000 or more consumers (excluding solely payment transactions), or derive over 25% of gross revenue from the sale of personal data and control/process data of 25,000 or more consumers.

What this means for B2B outreach

The law specifically exempts data processed in an employment or business-to-business (B2B) context, provided it is not used for a consumer purpose. Commercial email is largely exempt unless it violates the law's 'opt-out' requirements regarding the sale of data or targeted advertising to individuals.

Authoritative source: Montana Department of Justice (Office of the Attorney General). Always confirm current requirements there.

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