Maryland Retailers Alliance & Connected Commerce Council Applaud Proposed Bill to Balance Consumer Privacy and Small Business Competitiveness

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (March 7, 2025) — Today, the Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) and Connected Commerce Council (3C) voiced support for a proposed bill fixing overbroad data regulation in the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act. The legislation would keep important consumer data privacy protections in place, but change current provisions that make it harder for small businesses to use data-powered digital advertising to find customers, grow, and succeed. The law, which was passed and signed last year, is set to take effect October 1, 2025. 

“Digital ads are critical to our business’s growth and ability to compete against bigger brands,” said Kirk Hinckley, president of Gaithersburg, Md.- based The Bow Tie Club, an online-only men’s clothing retailer. “It’s so important that Maryland lawmakers approve the proposed legislation and fix this well-intentioned but poorly worded law, which, as currently written, will make it harder for me to advertise online and hurt my bottom line.”

Digital ads are incredibly valuable to thousands of Maryland small business owners like Kirk. According to new research from the MRA in partnership with 3C, 73 percent of Maryland small businesses use digital ads, 79 percent of those advertisers say digital ads help them compete with larger companies, and 80 percent say digital ads help them reach new customers. Digital ads are so effective because advertising platforms like Google and Facebook use basic consumer data to ensure businesses send the right ads to the right audiences. Not surprisingly, 70 percent of Maryland small businesses that advertise online say their digital ads would be less effective if their advertising partners couldn’t collect or process data.

“The current digital advertising ecosystem works extremely well for Maryland small businesses,” said Rob Retzlaff, 3C’s Executive Director. “Maryland is currently the only state that imposes such severe restrictions on online data. The MRA and 3C urge Maryland legislators to work together and fix the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act quickly, so consumers know their sensitive data is secure, and small businesses can continue successfully advertising online.”