Dive Brief:

• The Maryland House of Delegates on Thursday passed a bill requiring retailers to disclose when they track shoppers’ location and movements via their cell phones.

• State lawmakers noted that at least 1,000 retailers already routinely track consumers’ mobile-based information and expressed alarm at the practice.

• The state Senate will take up the measure next week, and it is expected to pass.

Dive Insight:

This Maryland bill looks like it will soon become law--a good measure of the mood among lawmakers to protect consumers from data-mining retailers. The move is similar to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer’s (D-NY) efforts via his Future of Privacy Forum think tank. Retailers should take note of this movement as they develop systems to track consumer habits, location, and movement via mobile, as shoppers are generally amenable to such tracking, but do want to be aware of what’s going on.